US: Stop Congress from making iPod or VCRs illegal

dogscoff · #1 September 9th, 2004, 07:14 AM

Vaguely related. Very interesting and highly entertaining: Here in the UK we've been subjected to a campaign trying to peruade us that DVD piracy funds terrorism. This guy exposes it a s a pack of lies-

http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/ip1.htm

Randallw · #2 September 9th, 2004, 07:38 AM

I have always wondered why video recorders are legal. You can't copy commercial tapes, yet you can copy anything on TV.

Aiken · #3 September 9th, 2004, 11:16 AM

Another step to The Right to Read

Fyron · #4 September 9th, 2004, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Randallw said:
I have always wondered why video recorders are legal. You can't copy commercial tapes, yet you can copy anything on TV.

Fair use. I pay for the television service. I don't have to watch a show immediately when it airs. I can record it and watch it later. I may have been at work, or at dinner, sleeping, or any other number of reasons.

Gandalf Parker · #5 September 9th, 2004, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Imperator Fyron said:

Quote:

Randallw said:
I have always wondered why video recorders are legal. You can't copy commercial tapes, yet you can copy anything on TV.

Fair use. I pay for the television service. I don't have to watch a show immediately when it airs. I can record it and watch it later. I may have been at work, or at dinner, sleeping, or any other number of reasons.

You pay for television service? Television is free. Like radio.
Gandalf Parker

Fyron · #6 September 9th, 2004, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Gandalf Parker said:
You pay for television service? Television is free. Like radio.
Gandalf Parker

Broadcast television of a handful of syndicated network channels, yes. There are a lot of stations for which you have to pay for cable, satellite, etc. acces to see... such as Comedy Central and Sci Fi channel.

Raging Deadstar · #7 September 9th, 2004, 05:56 PM

In the Uk we actually have "Television Liscenses" which is basically paying for even 'terestial' television. Then we pay extra for "satelite" television.

dogscoff · #8 September 9th, 2004, 07:07 PM

Quote:

In the Uk we actually have "Television Liscenses" which is basically paying for even 'terestial' television. Then we pay extra for "satelite" television

I consider this a good thing. This means that the BBC is not influenced by advertisers or by governmental sponsors (in theory, anyway.) We get the best of both worlds- we get the bbc, which has a world-class reputation for producing some of the best tv in the world, and we also get channels funded by advertising, and then we can also opt-in to subscription channels if we wqant/ have the technology. With set-top digital boxes at fifty quid a go, there's not much excuse not to have the technology. And the license fee is ~10 pounds a month, (approx $15-$20US) which is a round of drinks.

Gandalf Parker · #9 September 12th, 2004, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Imperator Fyron said:

Quote:

Gandalf Parker said:
You pay for television service? Television is free. Like radio.
Gandalf Parker

Broadcast television of a handful of syndicated network channels, yes. There are a lot of stations for which you have to pay for cable, satellite, etc. acces to see... such as Comedy Central and Sci Fi channel.

Those are services. The rules are very different for services and FCC licensed channels. There are many things that your TV might receive thru cable and satellite like music or pay-per-view movies or even interactive tv like webtv or internet. All of those have very different rules.

In fact, in the case of THOSE services you are very limited in saying "I pay for and have a right". The aired channels will give you alot of rights. The private services can be much more restricted.

Randallw · #10 September 12th, 2004, 12:34 PM

Just the other day I was thinking about Radio without the annoying inane announcers or ads. Wouldn't it be great if you just had song after song, with a minimum interruption to say what will be played for next hour. Of course the Radio station has to make a living. Is there such a thing as pay radio?.