Filesharing tv shows - morality?

Cafe Society
1

I’m just downloading nine episodes of “Desperate Hosewives”. I know that filesharing is a big no-no here, but patience mods, I have a point.

Many people TiVo or record tv shows on VCR. If there are commercials, they skip them, ff-ing to when the action resumes. Essentially, many shows are “free”, in that they’re paid for by the ads.

Now, when a tv show is sold to my country (Sweden), the production company and distributor get’s paid by the local station here, who in turn hope to generate revenue from selling commercials here.

But, e.g. “Joan of Arcadia” is not here. As far as I can tell, no station/network has bought it. “Desperate Housewives” might come to one network during the year, but no date is set. “Lost” is unheard of here. Jake 2.0, Jeremiah, Tru Calling … none of them made it here. And since they didn’t get aired and a fan following, it’s doubtful if they’ll ever get distribution on DVD.

Now, I’m fully aware that I’m breaking the law by downloading a tv show. What I’m wondering - and want to debate - is if I’m doing something morally wrong. I’m not stealing from the producer, in the sense that I’m depriving them from revenue. Should the show turn up, boxed, on DVD in two years… well sure.

Some Swedish networks put shows they’ve produced themselves on their websites and they’re free to download/stream. I’ve downloaded from PBS, their own website (Commanding Heights, which I learned about here).

Where should the line be drawn? If something is offered for free to my friend Joe Sixpack (by broadcast tv) and he records it and sends me a disc - then it’s ok. But if I get it by P2P, it’s not?

Am I morally wrong or right in downloading?
Would a person in the US, who missed an episode and decided to download it, be morally wrong? Would s/he be stealing it by not watcing the commercials?

2

You’re taking something that does not belong to you. When is that morally right?

In the US, people are allowed to copy a TV broadcast for time shifting purposes only. It is still illegal to make a copy of that tape or to trade tapes of the show.

3

I don’t know the laws in Sweden, but in the United States, copyright infringment is the unauthorized distribution of media. Downloading television shows off the Internet is not illegal; the one breaking the law is whoever is making them available to be downloaded.

Morally, from your standpoint, it sounds fine. It’s either see the shows this way, or don’t see them at all. If the makers of the show wanted you to see these programs, they would have done something to bring it to your country, so it’s not like they’re even missing out on anything.

4

Here’s the thing I don’t get though: unlike movies or music TV shows get broadcast freely. If I turn on my TV I can watch Friends free of charge, and skip the commericals if I want as I’ve entered in to no contract with the makers informal or otherwise.

How then am I taking anything from anyone if I download the same episode and watch it on my computer?

Cable TV is a bit different so my question only pertains to broadcast.

5

A discussion about the morality/ethics of an illegal action is not one that I’d care to allow on these boards.

Under US law, taping a show from your TV on your VCR to show to yourself later, that’s fine. Giving the tape to friends, selling the tape to anyone, that’s not OK. And hence, it’s not discussable on our Message Boards.

I don’t know the laws in Sweden, and I don’t want to. We’re situated in the US and US law is what applies to these boards.

Later edit: Sorry, when I say “Giving the tape to friends”, I meant to say “Making lots of copies of the tape to give to all your friends.” I apologize for an incorrect oversimplification. – CKDH