Is it illegal to watch movies online?

Marty_J

Soubrette wrote: »

Thanks for that - so are we saying that what is in the cache is copyable but not a copy in itself?



Sou

I'm not sure how to look at it. It's not normally directly accessible by the user (apart from when it's being watched in the web browser of course), and it does disappear eventually.

But then again, it does appear to be a complete infringing copy of the film, and you can't watch the whole thing without making a copy of it in the cache.

Soubrette

Marty_J wrote: »

I'm not sure how to look at it. It's not normally directly accessible by the user (apart from when it's being watched in the web browser of course), and it does disappear eventually.

But then again, it does appear to be a complete infringing copy of the film, and you can't watch the whole thing without making a copy of it in the cache.

Not what you have in the cache though surely - I think we've established that that is not openable or even useable in the form it is in - so that can't be called a copy could it?

I'm asking because I'm not sure either

Sou

Millionaire

Soubrette wrote: »

Actually you haven't cleared it up at all for me - I cannot find one single site that backs up what you're saying about a whole film being cached.

A whole film can be cached, I know from experience, In the Safari web browser you can locate it via the 'Window' then 'Activity' options in the menu.

Soubrette

Millionaire wrote: »

A whole film can be cached, I know from experience, In the Safari web browser you can locate it via the 'Window' then 'Activity' options in the menu.

Actually Marty has also confirmed that the whole of District 9 was cached on his computer - unlike my experiences where one song from youtube was nowhere to be found in my temporary internet files - I wonder if they can be stored elsewhere?

At the moment we're discussing whether what is in the cache is a copy or does it only become one once moved and renamed.

Thanks for coming back Millionaire - I wonder why the websites to a man do not back up what the actual experiences are for at least two posters in this thread.

Sou

Marty_J

Soubrette wrote: »

Not what you have in the cache though surely - I think we've established that that is not openable or even useable in the form it is in - so that can't be called a copy could it?

I'm asking because I'm not sure either

Sou

The Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003 state:

28A Making of temporary copies
Copyright in a literary work, other than a computer program or a database, or in a dramatic, musical or artistic work, the typographical arrangement of a published edition, a sound recording or a film, is not infringed by the making of a temporary copy which is transient or incidental, which is an integral and essential part of a technological process and the sole purpose of which is to enable-

(a) a transmission of the work in a network between third parties by an intermediary; or

(b) a lawful use of the work;

and which has no independent economic significance."

So it would appear that cached information does come under the purview of UK law. Streaming a movie comes under this insofar as it's a "temporary copy which is transient or incidental", but it wouldn't be a "lawful use of the work".

Soubrette

The question though is - is it a copy in the legal sense of the word?

In the form it is saved as automatically in your cache...

It seems you can't open it.

It seems you can't use it

It seems it will automatically be deleted (the timescales seem a bit controversial though)

Let me change the question around - in what sense is this a copy?

Sou

Marty_J

Soubrette wrote: »

The question though is - is it a copy in the legal sense of the word?

In the form it is saved as automatically in your cache...

It seems you can't open it.

It seems you can't use it

It seems it will automatically be deleted (the timescales seem a bit controversial though)

Let me change the question around - in what sense is this a copy?

Sou

You don't visit websites, websites visit you.

When you're streaming a movie, you're actually watching the copy on your computer, not a copy on the website.

Soubrette

Marty_J wrote: »

You don't visit websites, websites visit you.

When you're streaming a movie, you're actually watching the copy on your computer, not a copy on the website.

A copy surely implies that it can be viewed multiple times - once you've watched your copy - if the file is no longer watchable - how is it still a copy?

I ask again - in what sense of the word is that saved file a copy?

Another interesting off topic tidbit - circular arguments. We are discussing whether or not the temporary file on your computer is a copy - to just say that it is a temporary copy and therefore is a copy is circular, the conclusioin of your argument is assumed in the body of the argument.

Sou

Marty_J

Soubrette wrote: »

A copy surely implies that it can be viewed multiple times - once you've watched your copy - if the file is no longer watchable - how is it still a copy?

I ask again - in what sense of the word is that saved file a copy?

I think a copy is a copy; I'm not aware that it has to be usable multiple times.

The Oxford English Dictionary gives:

copy
• noun (pl. copies) 1 a thing made to be similar or identical to another. 2 a single specimen of a particular book, record, etc. 3 matter to be printed. 4 material for a newspaper or magazine article.

• verb (copies, copied) 1 make a copy of. 2 imitate the behaviour or style of.

— ORIGIN Latin copia ‘abundance’, later ‘transcript’.

Mr_Falling_Star

What a great thread! I am of the opinion that its OK to watch streams (such as sports) but not to broadcast or distribute them.