As a UKer I can give you a little insight to how TV works over here.  The BBC have a Royal Charter which means they can extort money out of any one in the UK having a TV.  This is referred to as the TV licence.  It does not matter if you never watch a BBC program in your life you still have to pay the TV licence as this is required by law if you have a TV and equipment that is capable of receiving (i.e., analogue aerial, satellite, cable or whatever).  TV in the UK is not free even before you get onto the subject of adverts! :(

If I write a book, I can give it to you. Or I can sell it to you. Or I can give it to you but prohibit you from giving it to someone else. Its my creation, if I choose to let you benefit from my creation its up to me what restrictions I put upon its use. Thats the nature of copyright.
If I spend a year righting a book and then have no rights over its use what is the point of me doing so (unless I specificly intend it to be freely available to all)

Now, if you live in Hong Kong, then you are free of all this as there are no copyright laws in Hong Kong... so copying is apparently perfectly legal!  There are, however, international treaties which do govern the export of such.  (Hopefully, someone can clarify this beyond my hear-say.)

good points all.
i think the main point is that since many of these program are on paid tv channels, if people continue to do this then eventually the broadcasters people will stop producing new 'cool' shows for all of us.

Sorry that should read

"It's illegal to record a show and make it available to download over the net."

> Barthex how about setting up our own thread so that we can bitch and moan about the BBC :)

Ooo, that would be a never-ending thread. :)

Yes it would :)

to daleoran:
hey, can you expand on your comment "It's illegal to record a show and make it available to download over the net."
and to uk-ers :) i'll set up a thread for us to talk about the bbc  https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21352622/What-so-bad-about-BBC.html

Taken from

http://www.fact-uk.org.uk/

4.2 Offences: Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Under Section 107(1) a person commits an offence who, without the licence of the copy­right owner -

(a) makes for sale or hire, or
(b) imports into the United Kingdom otherwise that for his private and domestic use, or
(c) possesses in the course of a business with a view to committing any act infringing the copyright, or
(d) in the course of a business -
(i) sells or lets for hire, or
(ii) offers or exposes for sale or hire, or
(ill) exhibits in public, or
(iv) distributes, or
(e) distributes otherwise than in the course of a business to such an extent as to affect prejudicially the owner of the copyright,

an article which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe is, an infringing copy of a copyright work.

Under Section 107(2) a person commits an offence who -
(a) makes an article specially designed or adapted for making copies of a particular copyright work, or
(b) has such an article in his possession,
knowing or having a reason to believe that it is to be used to make infringing copies for sale or hire or for use in the course of a business.

Under Section 107(3) where copyright is infringed (otherwise than by reception of a broadcast or cable programme) -
(a) by the public performance of a literary, dramatic or musical work, or
(b) by the playing or showing in public of a sound recording or film,

any person who caused the work to be so performed, played or shown is guilty of an offence if he knew or had reason to believe that copyright would be infringed.


I think
(iv) distributes, or
(e) distributes otherwise than in the course of a business to such an extent as to affect prejudicially the owner of the copyright

says it all. I read into this that you can't distribute any material that doesn't belong to you because you will affect the rights of the owner to earn from it, license it, distribute it themselves etc.

Michael

Basically you have to get written permission to distribute, hire out, lend, etc.  In the UK the law states that you cannot retain a recorded version of the broadcast for more than 30 days (though the law is rarely enforced).  What this means is that you cannot tape a show *and* retain that copy for more than 30 days (legally you have to wipe or destroy the copy) - this also applies to taping radio broadcasts...

when im holiday i just set the digital box to switch to the riight channel at a specific time along with my vcr to tape the dr who show
is that illegal?
kinda sound stupid if it does.
where does it say that you cannot retain a recorded broadcast for more than 30 days?

Well, on searching for this particular arguement, I've come across these references which proove me wrong. :)

Guidelines on the recent changes to Copyright Law (late 2003):
http://www.cilip.org.uk/committees/laca/mcglaca_legislationguidelines.pdf

I haven't looked at this doc in any depth, so I still could be wrong in either direction! :(

"Showing it to friends, in your private cimema is OK"

Well, when showing this to your friend, you have delibrately cut off the commericals, that means you have changed the content of the program and in that major factor are the commercials.
Would the TV shows soon have banner ads like websites?
This would be very annoying.

Donkadelics,

In your home, for your own use, you can view how you like - with or without commercials. But you know that already...

Banner adverts - I doubt it other than in extremely boring party political broadcasts!

Patrick

I just read this thread and have to toss in my two cents.

The question is moot. Downloading is happening and will only accelerate. The only real question is how programmers will react. Will they go along with the tide and make the most of it or try to unsuccessfully squash it as music and movie producers have? Technologies change. The victors are those that make the most of it and provide consumers what they want at the same time.

As to advertising on TV, that is quickly becoming moot as well. If you record a show with a VCR to watch later you can easily fast-forward through the commercials. If you use TiVo, same. Advertisers know this and know the days of TV commercials as effective advertising methods are doomed (just like pop-ups and banner ads on the Internet). It's why they are moving to product placements during the show when they know you'll be watching. You don't think they make sure those soda cans are turned so the logo is right in your face is an accident, do you? :)