Netflix and Jail? Giving out Your Netflix Password is Now Illegal

David Nosal was charged with conspiracy after attempting to set up a rival firm by accessing a Korn/Ferry candidate database using his former assistant’s password. He was sentenced to prison time, probation, and nearly $900,000 in fines.

One of the judges, Stephen Reinhardt, offered a dissenting opinion, saying this ruling also makes “consensual password sharing,” i.e. sharing the password to your favourite video streaming service with your friends, a criminal offense. He added it “threatens to criminalize all sorts of innocuous conduct engaged in daily by ordinary citizens.” –Fortune

I guess it is now a Federal offence to share your Netflix password. You kiddin’ me? Not that I share mine anyway, mainly because it isn’t my account. Oh, damn….

Seriously though, that’s ridiculous. I understand that this dude getting sued for 900k plus jail-time is a little much but at the same time it isn’t. He was working at a $1.06 billion, revenue accruing company. He 9 times out of 10 signed a non-competition contract and was caught trying to set up a rival firm. Tough shit Dave.

Throwing Netflix into the mix is kind of a low blow. What did we all do to deserve this? David Nosal was the one that hacked into his old company database to try to burn them to the ground. Not us. I’m just trying to finish Prison Break and fall asleep. Who am I hurting?

PS: I’m pretty sure we all have that one asshole that actually pays for Netflix and gets texts nonstop for his/her info because we “Just want to watch one show”, and we “Won’t give it to anyone.”

What a boner kill it would be to be “Netflix and Chilling” and have the FBI kick down your door because you were too cheap to pay $8.99 a month and heckled Nick for his login info to watch Orange is the New Black.