NFL, NBA, UFC Push for DMCA Law Changes in Letter to US Patent and Trademark Office

Multiple major sports leagues reportedly have joined forces in the fight against illegal livestreaming.

According to Umar Shakir of The Verge, the NFL, NBA and UFC sent a letter to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) seeking changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Per Shakir, the leagues "believe that the law needs to define more specifically how quickly a DMCA takedown notice should take effect" for illegal livestreams.

The current language in the DMCA, which was signed into law by the Clinton administration in 1998, states that takedown notices are to be processed "expeditiously." The letter, which was dated Aug. 23, suggested that the verbiage be changed from "expeditiously" to "instantaneously or near-instantaneously."

Shakir provided an example where an NFL football game watched on an illegal livestream would likely come to its conclusion before a DMCA takedown is completed. In most instances, it can take online service providers hours or days to remove content in response to a DMCA takedown notice. The sports organizations are hoping their letter adds some urgency to the process.

"This would be a relatively modest and non-controversial update to the DMCA that could be included in the broader reforms being considered by Congress or could be addressed separately," the letter from the NFL, NBA, and UFC states.

The letter also noted that the "global sports industry is losing up to $28 billion in additional potential annual revenue" because of illegal streaming, as customers with access to livestreams are less likely to sign up for a paid service or subscription.

The letter also seeks the implementation of user verifications before allowing livestream broadcasts, specifically pointing out that there are many instances where people use their smartphones to record footage on TV screens and stream it live.

It remains to be seen what changes, if any, will take place in order to curb the problem of illegal streaming.