Computers & Electronics

Comments: Downloading TV shows = illegal?

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  • Jan 20th, 2005 1:21 pm
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Sr. Member
Jan 24, 2004
559 posts
133 upvotes
They way I see this topic is this:
It technically is illegal to download TV shows. However, if the series hasn't rought out DVDs or VHS copys to be sold, they aren't going to ***** too much about it.

Once the DVD/VHS versions start hitting the shelves of any store, that's when the companies start knocking on doors trying to stop illegal distribution. The whole MP3 issue comes into play, "You're stealing our profits from downloading our material without paying" For new shows like Lost or Desperate Housewives where DVDs of the seasons aren't out, I don't see them getting too bitchy about it. It can actually make more people interested in the show.

When the DVD version comes out, (for like shows of Smallville, Family Guy,etc) that's when they start pulling the plug and stopping people from downloading the earlier episodes.

I got that impression from watching anime that you're able to distribute when an North American copyrights aren't gathered. But once an North American company buys the copyright to distribute a particular anime, distribution gets cut.
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Jul 3, 2002
4865 posts
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GTA
nonphixion wrote:i'm pretty sure they are legal as long as they have no commercials, and its after its tv airing
Pretty sure it's generally not, since the copyright holder did not authorize its distribution online.
Rock it.
Deal Fanatic
Dec 9, 2003
5132 posts
981 upvotes
Calgary
22 posts and no reputable links or sources of info??

I saw this on TechTV (The Screen Savers) the other day. I think it answers the question.

[QUOTE]Legal expert Ren Bucholz from the Electronic Frontier Foundation joined us to play “Legal or Illegal?
Sr. Member
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Nov 15, 2004
778 posts
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Cough wrote:22 posts and no reputable links or sources of info??

I saw this on TechTV (The Screen Savers) the other day. I think it answers the question.
Canada's Copyright Act is a good source of info. Click here

This is getting very technical.

Part 1, Act 3 states that:

3. (1) For the purposes of this Act, "copyright", in relation to a work, means the sole right to produce or reproduce the work or any substantial part thereof in any material form whatever, to perform the work or any substantial part thereof in public or, if the work is unpublished, to publish the work or any substantial part thereof, and includes the sole right

(a) to produce, reproduce, perform or publish any translation of the work,


The work in this case will be the television show. The basis is that since the creator of the show has the copyright, only he/she has the authority to rerpoduce such a show. Anyone who reproduce the show will be considered an infringement on that creator's copyright.

If you look at PART VIII PRIVATE COPYING, you will see that

80. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the act of reproducing all or any substantial part of

(a) a musical work embodied in a sound recording,

(b) a performer's performance of a musical work embodied in a sound recording, or

(c) a sound recording in which a musical work, or a performer's performance of a musical work, is embodied

onto an audio recording medium for the private use of the person who makes the copy does not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the musical work, the performer's performance or the sound recording.



Quite interesting. This is as legal as you get.
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Jul 3, 2002
4865 posts
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Cough wrote:22 posts and no reputable links or sources of info??
Ctam beat me to it. How many times to people have to mention the Copyright Act before you'll go look it up? Or were you waiting for someone like Ctam to post bits of it for you?

Someone has created a TV show, and there are people who own the copyright to that show. They arrange a deal with a network to distribute that show in exchange for money. The network airs it, and recoups its costs from advertising it (or in the case of something like HBO, charging for access to all of its content).

You can use a VCR, TiVo, whatever, to record a copy to time shift it and use it later. You are not authorized by the copyright holder(s) to distribute that copy to anybody by any means - loaning the tape to your friend or providing a digital copy on the internet are both technically unacceptable.
Rock it.
Deal Addict
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Jun 27, 2004
4182 posts
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Markham
While downloading tv seems to illiegl; i'm going to agree with a couple people, that while i could watch the show on tv, i would much rather download the HDTV version and not have to watch commercials.

Another main reason (and i think its the same for most) is im just tired of remembering what shows are on when. Now (by downloading them) i can watch them "on demand" if you will and never have to worry about missing a show.
Jr. Member
Jan 21, 2003
113 posts
What people are forgetting when they say it's okay to download shows that aired on channels you already pay for is that 99% of the time, the commecials are cut out, and if they are not, they are probably not for your region and therefore useless. The commercials are how the broadcasters make their money. This is why TiVO no longer skips over commercials source.

The only reason you are allowed to record shows onto a VCR to watch later, is due to a betamax ruling http://www.savebetamax.org/. Some corporations are trying to abolish this ruling, and if they succeed, and I quote, " The Betamax ruling is the only thing that protects your right to own a VCR, tape recorder, CD-burner, DVD-burner, iPod, or TiVo. "
Jr. Member
Jan 21, 2003
113 posts
Silver Bullet wrote:While downloading tv seems to illiegl; i'm going to agree with a couple people, that while i could watch the show on tv, i would much rather download the HDTV version and not have to watch commercials.
But you aren't subscribed to HDTV channels, so you shouldn't have access to them. And as for the commercial skipping, well, as others have said already, they don't put them there for fun...
Silver Bullet wrote:Another main reason (and i think its the same for most) is im just tired of remembering what shows are on when. Now (by downloading them) i can watch them "on demand" if you will and never have to worry about missing a show.
I agree with you here, but that's why VCRs, PVRs, DVRs, etc, have the ability to automatically record shows for you. If you don't have one, get one, trust me. Don't assume you'll always be able to download the next episode of your shows. :)
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Jun 27, 2004
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Markham
Very true MaxPower2000

Already ahead of you .. HTPC (with PVR functionality) on the way and getting rogers HDTV box soon also :)

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