An anti-piracy bill signed last week by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes it a crime for people to share copyrighted music or movies online without providing a valid e-mail address.

Any person, except a minor, who is located in California, who disseminates a particular recording or audiovisual work to more than 10 other people without disclosing his or her email, and the title of the commercial work is punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,500, imprisonment in a county jail for a period not exceeding one year, or by both.

The bill was introduced by state Sen. Kevin Murray (D-Los Angeles) and sponsored by the Motion Picture Association of America.

“I greatly appreciate the continuing support of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in addition to other supporters in our creative communities to enact responsible legislation that gives state and local law enforcement a greater ability to combat what is essentially the theft of creative works,” said Senator Murray in a statement.

The law goes into effect in January.

Under the law, a minor who violates these provisions is punishable by a fine not exceeding $250 for a first or 2nd offense and by a fine not exceeding $1,000, imprisonment in a county jail, or by both that fine and imprisonment for a 3rd or subsequent violation.

The bill defines electronic dissemination as initiating a transmission of, making available, or otherwise offering a commercial recording or audiovisual work for distribution on the Internet or other digital network, as specified.

The law is written to expire on January 1, 2010, unless a later enacted statute deletes or extends that date.

(via California Legislative Information)