Is This Illegal?

[Killerkebab]

Another hypothecial situation, say someone downloaded a tv show by torrent, that was then broadcast for free on tv couple of weeks later. Would that be considered illegal?

Yes. TV is not free. The company that owns the channel you'd have watched (the one which broadcasts your show a few weeks later) will have paid a fee for the right to transmit said show.

However you didn't pay anything. The fact that the show is available later on TV is of no relevance.

 

[Monkeynut]

The better question to the OP is... is it something YOU consider a crime? If it isn't, just make sure no one catches you.

 

[DRZ]

Yes that would be illegal.

Very simple test of whether it's legal.
1) are you making a copy (however temporary)
2)do you have authorisation to make that copy?

If you don't then it's illegal.

Part 2 depends on why you are making that copy - recording for the purposes of timeshifting is legal (although obviously not via bittorrent).

Streaming an MPEG2 recorded from DVB-T across a LAN is questionably legal depending on exactly how/why you do it.

 

[fini]

Part 2 depends on why you are making that copy - recording for the purposes of timeshifting is legal

Yes because you have authorisation to do so - statutory authorisation.

 

[Happy]

Despite these points;

Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy View Post
Another hypothecial situation, say someone downloaded a tv show by torrent, that was then broadcast for free on tv couple of weeks later. Would that be considered illegal?

Yes that would be illegal.

Very simple test of whether it's legal.
1) are you making a copy (however temporary)
2)do you have authorisation to make that copy?

If you don't then it's illegal.
----------------------------
Yes. TV is not free. The company that owns the channel you'd have watched (the one which broadcasts your show a few weeks later) will have paid a fee for the right to transmit said show.

However you didn't pay anything. The fact that the show is available later on TV is of no relevance.
----------------------------
Couldn't you just record the program, or is that still illegal or am I missing the point or both

 

[Glaucus]

Couldn't you just record the program, or is that still illegal or am I missing the point or both

You can do it for timeshifting only. You can not keep the copy.

 

[Happy]

kl, understood

 

[Energize]

TV is not free.

No you have to pay a huge license fee which funds it. Making downloading tv programs a moral crime.

 

[jas72]

Ok then. You have a DVD in your DVD drive on your PC, set as a network share.

Is it illegal for your mate to watch the DVD in your drive on his PC?

No otherwise the magic eyes would not be allowed to be sold in the UK.

People aren't going to court for downloading a few missed episodes of east enders anyway.

I remember my mum asking my aunt to tape coronation street when we went on holiday (it was only on twice a week in those days )

Any judge would have laughed the police out of court in those days for bringing charges against a middle aged woman asking for a few episodes of coronation street to be copied for her instead of setting her timer.

Why we get so bothered about the downloading is beyond me. I'm living in Belgium and can only watch the free to air satellite channels, since BBC is Free to air unencypted I can watch it along with ITV and it's regional channels, some other channels as well like reality TV, movies for men and someothers Bubble hits for instance, (no channel 4 or 5 for some reason though) as they are FTV (free to view) only.

However, should, god forbid I miss an episode I cannot use IPLAYER as it is for UK use only. What weirdness huh? This leaves my only option to catch up the internet. Downloading is viewed as a huge crime but asking a mate to tape something whist you are on holiday is fine. It's hypocritical.

Why waste resources on it when other methods are not even frowned apon.

I can watch something as it's aired but not a repeat of it when I want should I miss it.