On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 18:07:50 +0100, "Ed Sirett"
wrote:

On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 16:41:15 +0000, Huge wrote:

"Owain" writes:
"Bob Eager" wrote
| Home and Lesiure advertise that their programs can be
| viewed on-line, so chuck out the TV.
| ....and get a 2gig connection.
| Still cheeper than a TV licence, we have a 310 Gig
| connection at work
| But unfortunately it still needs a licence... :-(

No, because streaming video over a computer network isn't broadcast
television.

Let me know what the magistrate thinks, will you?

I'm fairly sure Owain is right. AIUI the licence is for equipment capable
of receiving TV broadcasts.
This means a telly with the tuner removed so you can only watch videos
does not require a licence.
This means a VCR which is used record programs even they are watched
elsewhere or on a B&W TV does.
IANAL but downloading data is not broadcasting.

It depends on use and on the content owner.

For off air TV used in a domestic setting you are right - basically it
depends on the presence of a tuner.

For example, when my daughter was at university, she had a tuner card
in her PC to watch TV programs without needing a separate TV. This
definitely needed a license.

If you watch streaming video at home from an internet site, you don't
need a license.

However, the game changes totally in a commercial environment. You
can't just fix up a TV tuner, satellite receiver or cable STB and
stream the programs over your corporate network without a license.

A lot of content is licensed for domestic use only, where the owner
can be assured of a reasonably know revenue stream. In a commercial
environment a standard TV license is required for each location of the
business, plus any requirements that satellite TV companies may have
on top of that.



..andy

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