[mythtv-users] prebuilt pvrs for developers benefit?

[James Orr]

On Tue, 2004-05-04 at 14:46, Ed Benckert wrote:
> >>I don't know about that, (as Chris pointed out) it
> >>seems that http://www.digeo.com/
> >>has a way around that.
> > 
> > 
> > Oh, it's definitly illegal.
> > 
> > I pay for HBO.  If you download the Sopranos and view it, you got it for
> > free while I paid for it.  You've stolen that program in a much more
> > real sense than if you edited out commercials.  If enough people do it,
> > it will drive up my cost.
> 
> It's a touchy subject. If I come over your house and watch it, am I stealing 
> it and breaking the law? What if you tape it, and give me the tape. Who 
> broke the law, you or me? Was a law even broken?

It's the distribution that's illegal.  If you come over and listen to a
CD that's fine.  If you come over and watch a show, that's fine too.

If I tape it and give it to you, technically that is illegal, but nobody
really cares.  Same as if I burned you a copy of that CD we listened to
earlier.  If I mass produce 1000's of copies and give them to people all
over town, that might be a different story.  That's exactly what you're
doing when you put a file up on a file sharing network.

-- 
James Orr <james at orrwhat.net>