Is a TV License required for non UK/EU channels?

hackeron

Robisere wrote: »

All of this tortuous reasoning and Legalese, comes down to this: if you watch TV programmes in the UK, you must pay the appropriate License Fee. Irrespective of how it is broadcast, where it is broadcast from, how it is received and whatever medium is used to receive it.

I understand that, but my question is about visiting sites that aren't inherently designed for streaming content covered by the TV license.

In the specific example of ustream dot tv - it is a social networking site designed for people to stream live shows of themselves doing product reviews, discussions and various other content not covered by the TV license. The problem is when you visit the home page, streams are picked at random and played automatically with no user intervention and some of these streams are covered by the TV license even if the majority are not. So it seems you are breaking the law by simply visiting the home page of this rather big website on the chance that a stream you are not legally allowed to watch is played?

If true, this seems incredibly unfair to me to limit my access to 90% of the content on the site that doesn't require a TV License on the chance that the 10% that does happens to automatically start playing without my control.

Moneyineptitude: Why would you do this, other than to promote those sites? Do you work for one of them?

Kurtis_Blue was asking for examples of broadcasts that auto play. I have given examples of big, well known sites off the top of my head. I hardly need to promote them and no I do not work for any of them.

Kurtis_Blue: So not live broadcast TV then?

The vast majority are live broadcasts, hense the "stream" and "tv" in the address names. Most of these streams don't fall under TV licensing, but some do and which specific stream will auto-play is not possible to predict. So presumably, visiting these websites could open you to prosecution?

Also, correct me if I'm wrong but the TV license covers recordings and streams that are available less than 1 hour after the live broadcast. On ustream, the 1-2 minute highlights appear on the site in as little as 5 minutes after the live broadcast - so by legitimately visiting the home page of a social media website that happens to auto play a stream that requires a TV license, you are in violation of the law?

This isn't to say you are "tricked" into watching this content, the sites happen to broadcast, legally, some channel or content that is available for free to other parts of the world. It seems your legitimate use of the website for it's intended purpose of social networking puts you at risk in case one of the few streams that do require a TV license are, once again, automatically played, without your control, when you visit the home page.

Now I understand this is hard to enforce and all the rest of it, but this potentially makes it possible to turn every person without a TV license into a criminal by just sending them a link to ustream DOT tv, does it not?

Kurtis_Blue

hackeron wrote: »

I understand that, but my question is about visiting sites that aren't inherently designed for streaming content covered by the TV license.

In the specific example of ustream dot tv - it is a social networking site designed for people to stream live shows of themselves doing product reviews, discussions and various other content not covered by the TV license. The problem is when you visit the home page, streams are picked at random and played automatically with no user intervention and some of these streams are covered by the TV license even if the majority are not. So it seems you are breaking the law by simply visiting the home page of this rather big website on the chance that a stream you are not legally allowed to watch is played?

If true, this seems incredibly unfair to me to limit my access to 90% of the content on the site that doesn't require a TV License on the chance that the 10% that does happens to automatically start playing without any intervention from me.



Kurtis_Blue was asking for examples of broadcasts that auto play. I have given examples of big, well known sites off the top of my head. I hardly need to promote them and no I do not work for any of them.



The vast majority are live broadcasts, hense the "stream" and "tv" in the address names. Most of these streams don't fall under TV licensing, but some do and which specific stream will auto-play is not possible to predict. So presumably, visiting these websites could open you to prosecution?

Also, correct me if I'm wrong but the TV license covers recordings and streams that are available less than 1 hour after the live broadcast. On ustream, the 1-2 minute highlights appear on the site in as little as 5 minutes after the live broadcast - so by legitimately visiting the home page of a social media website that happens to auto play a stream that requires a TV license, you are in violation of the law?

This isn't to say you are "tricked" into watching this content, the sites happen to broadcast, legally, some channel or content that is available for free to other parts of the world. It seems your legitimate use of the website for it's intended purpose of social networking puts you at risk in case one of the few streams that do require a TV license are, once again, automatically played, without your control, when you visit the home page.

Now I understand this is hard to enforce and all the rest of it, but this potentially makes it possible to turn every person without a TV license into a criminal by just sending them a link to ustream DOT tv, does it not?

No, no it does not.

hackeron

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

No, no it does not.

What is this, kindergarden? - I'll play along. Yes it does

Kurtis_Blue

Well you asked a simple question:

"But this potentially makes it possible to turn every person without a TV license into a criminal by just sending them a link to ustream DOT tv, does it not?"

And I gave you the answer.

hackeron

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

Well you asked a simple question:

"But this potentially makes it possible to turn every person without a TV license into a criminal by just sending them a link to ustream DOT tv, does it not?"

And I gave you the answer.

Thank you, so you are saying as long as whatever website auto plays the content, you can legally watch it, even if it requires a TV license that you do not have.

This is clear now

Kurtis_Blue

Nothing on the website you keep linking needs a TV licence.

hackeron

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

Nothing on the website you keep linking needs a TV licence.

I already linked you to a stream that was less than 10 minutes after the live broadcast. A delayed stream of under 60 minutes is still covered as a broadcast and requires a TV license.

Here is another: EDIT: Won't let me post, look under Recent Highlights on ustream dot TV, most of those are recent, some of which less than 10 minute old streams off a live TV channel.

hackeron

Right this second I opened the home page of Ustream dot TV and it is showing a Nasa Television live stream that is available on Sky that once again started playing automatically.

Kurtis_Blue

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=55006093&postcount=47

hackeron

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

Nothing on the website you keep linking needs a TV licence.

Live stream of Nasa TV doesn't require a TV license? - it's available on Sky.