Has this been raised before? My girlfriend (we live in the UK) has a TV license and satellite TV subscription, she tapes a lot of series from the TV to watch again and again. Would she be entitled to do this legally? Or is it just something that’s never been tried in court? Would she be entitled to download online episodes of TV programmes she missed on the TV?
Recording (and keeping) broadcasts for personal use is not an issue. And because most shows (on cable and terrestrial) are repeated several times over a week, you can usually avoid missing them (if you have Freeview).
Downloading is slightly different. But in general, content providers are interested in unauthorised distribution not consumption. So filling a gap in your recorded episodes of Torchwood should not be a problem. Downloading DVD quality episodes of the latest series of 24 before it is broadcast in the UK may be more risky.
I know the BBC are thinking of replicating their Listen Again radio funtionality for TV - you can watch any show from off the internet for up to a week after broadcast. But if I can only do that on my PC I’ll be gutted - I have a server containing recorded TV shows and a settop box to play them - if I can’t use that to Watch Again I’ll be annoyed, and find another solution.
Si
I’d thought some sort of download and watch again once system, tied into your TV license would have been a nice idea for the Beeb. But it only seemed to be possible with a Sky box or PC.
About a dozen years ago, my TV and video were stolen (I didn’t replace them until 2 years ago). The police officer ‘reminded’ me that while you’re allowed to record programs, you must watch them ‘within a reasonable time’ or erase them.
Did he have some case law to back up this statement?
I doubt it. The ruling that made time shifting legal never specified how long you could shift time.
Apparently the UK’s version of “fair use” with regard to time-shifting or recording programs is different that what’s in the US.