Sharing passwords for online streaming services, including Netflix, is actually against the law.
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) said on Tuesday that the practice of sharing passwords broke copyright law. Sharing passwords has always been against the terms of service for streaming giants like Netflix, but it has become a common practice, and Netflix has never taken legal action against anyone caught doing it.
However, the IPO did refer to password sharing on the government website, as it allows people to access copyright protected content like TV shows and films, without paying for it. The reference has been removed from the website, but a spokesperson confirmed the legal position on password sharing had not changed.
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A spokesperson for the IPO said: "There are a range of provisions in criminal and civil law which may be applicable in the case of password sharing where the intent is to allow a user to access copyright-protected works without payment. These provisions may include breach of contractual terms, fraud or secondary copyright infringement, depending on the circumstances.
"Where these provisions are provided in civil law, it would be up to the service provider to take action through the courts if required."
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This means it would be up to the streaming platform, e.g. Netflix, to pursue a court case if they wanted to. Netflix would stand to greatly increase its revenue if it cracked down on password sharing, as figures suggest around 25% of UK Netflix users (approx. four million people) share their password.
In May, then-Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries revealed she was one of those sharing an account. She told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee: "My mum has access to my account, the kids do. I have Netflix but there are four other people who can use my Netflix account in different parts of the country."
Currently, there is no evidence to suggest any police forces would open an investigation into someone they suspected of password sharing.
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