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Is downloading a TV Show Illegal?

H

hevnsnt

Lifer
Ok, lets say I missed one of my favorite TV shows... Is it illegal for me to go download it from one of the "shareing sites"?
 
This is not legal.

You are creating a copy of the program on your system. This is the COPYing that is protected by the COPYRIGHT ACT, and it is the exclusive right of the copyright owner to make copies of its copyrighted work.
 
It's always been a gray area for me. I just can't understand why a TV show (assuming it has the commericals in tact) would be illegal to download when it can be watched on TV for free anyways. Also, when TV shows air, I have never see any that had a copyright notice or FBI warning like all movies.
 
Originally posted by: Holycrap
This is not legal.

You are creating a copy of the program on your system. This is the COPYing that is protected by the COPYRIGHT ACT, and it is the exclusive right of the copyright owner to make copies of its copyrighted work.
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So VCR and Tivo are illegal now?
 
Originally posted by: jfall
It's always been a gray area for me. I just can't understand why a TV show (assuming it has the commericals in tact) would be illegal to download when it can be watched on TV for free anyways
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Well, if it's on cable, there's nothing gray about it.
 
Originally posted by: jfall
It's always been a gray area for me. I just can't understand why a TV show (assuming it has the commericals in tact) would be illegal to download when it can be watched on TV for free anyways. Also, when TV shows air, I have never see any that had a copyright notice or FBI warning like all movies.
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same way with radio, you can listen to music for free, yet you can't download it for free.
 
Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
It's no less illegal than downloading a song you missed on the radio 😉
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That was kinda where I was going with it...

As far as VCR/TIVO goes.. How are those not illegal?
 
Originally posted by: joshsquall
Originally posted by: jfall
It's always been a gray area for me. I just can't understand why a TV show (assuming it has the commericals in tact) would be illegal to download when it can be watched on TV for free anyways
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Well, if it's on cable, there's nothing gray about it.
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I pay for cable, I tape stuff occasionally (F1 at odd hours of Speed Channel for instance). I don't see the difference aside from the means of acquiring the show.
 
Originally posted by: hevnsnt
Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
It's no less illegal than downloading a song you missed on the radio 😉
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That was kinda where I was going with it...

As far as VCR/TIVO goes.. How are those not illegal?
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Well, the cable/movie companies don't like them much AFAIK. I think that as of now, using Tivo or PVRs falls under fair use. Copyright law in most countries is woefully inadequate for the information age and is having to be interpreted in ways that were never thought of when the laws were drafted.
 
It's illegal to distribute the recording. Just as the RIAA is only going after sharers, you won't get in trouble for having a few episodes of Friends on your computer.
 
Originally posted by: hevnsnt
Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
It's no less illegal than downloading a song you missed on the radio 😉
Click to expand...

That was kinda where I was going with it...

As far as VCR/TIVO goes.. How are those not illegal?
Click to expand...

VCR/TIVO are not illegal due to this ruling. Of course the entertainment industry has been pouting ever since and seem to be on the verge of getting their revenge with this piece of excrement.
 
What if it's not on cable, say it's on one of the public channels? Also, it bothers me that you can't download something that cannot be bought (unless it has been ported to DVD). Not trying to justify downloading TV shows, merely trying to understand why it's illegal
 
Originally posted by: freegeeks
the Top Gear vidcaps with the torrents that I provide in this forum almost every week are illegal?
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Technically, yes. Realistically, BBC has no reason to pursue anyone for infringing it's copyright somewhere the show isn't being shown or sold under any form.
 
Originally posted by: RaynorWolfcastle
Originally posted by: freegeeks
the Top Gear vidcaps with the torrents that I provide in this forum almost every week are illegal?
Click to expand...

Technically, yes. Realistically, BBC has no reason to pursue anyone for infringing it's copyright somewhere the show isn't being shown or sold under any form.
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BBC should pay me instead 😉

I'm creating a bigger market for their programs, free for nothing
 
Lots of things are illegal. In this case a company would need to prove damages to get a judgement much beyond 'cease and desist'.

Thus it only becomes interesting when someone either tries to profit from a work for which another person owns the copyright, or cannibalizes an existing market by giving away a previously marketable product, without the authority to do so.
 
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