[mythtv-users] MythTV and BitTorrent?

[Nick Morrott]

2008/7/18 Will <will at st0rage.org>:
> On Thu, 2008-07-17 at 23:13 -0500, Dewey Smolka wrote:
>>
>> This list does NOT support or condone rebroadcast of recorded
>> materials via the public web or torrents. This means that any talk of
>> integrating BT clients into MythTV, or seeding Myth recordings is
>> STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.

Talking of seeding recordings I can understand, but simply integrating
BT (or other P2P) clients? Perhaps I'm an optimist, but I see those
two issues as being very separate. If I download my MythTV distro via
BT, it might be nice to control this process via a plugin and then
burn it to disc, all within mythfrontend.

> You don't seem to differentiate between copyrighted works and things
> that are public.
>
> Do you suggest that MythTV no longer allow users to record shows just in
> case? ;)
>
> Sites like http://www.legaltorrents.com/ are useful, and I find it
> surprising that MythTV would 'strongly discourage' the use of this
> useful open source protocol.

IANAL (and very tired, FWIW) but in the US, what is the current legal
status of the ripping/format-shifting of (perhaps copyrighted) TV
shows, CDs and DVDs for personal use? Doesn't playing commercial
encrypted DVDs on Linux still contravene the DMCA we hear so much
about? What about transcoding your TV recordings to play on your Ipod?
These are discussed on the list, and the scripts and patches commited
to the software would seem to imply they are both actively supported
and condoned.

On a scale of legality, wouldn't the downloading of unquestionably
legal material via BT/P2P rank /at least/ as high as those
aforementioned processes that are already integrated into the
software, or just a library install away? Is it just a matter of
third-party perception that is currently stopping such discussion? If
this perception changes over time (especially as media companies
themselves start to embrace P2P technologies), could the leadership
see a time when discussion would be permitted?

I've read this list for several years now, and I know from previous
comments the devs and Isaac are rightly scared of MythTV being getting
MythTV associated with copyright infringement, but is it not sensible
to at least allow discussion about integrating legitamate media
broadcast protocols, some of which /may/ be capable of being used to
share infringing material?

The line has to be drawn somewhere though, so we must respect the
MythTV project's leadership on this matter. Fork at your own risk :)

-- 
Nick "Not wanting to flog a dead horse" Morrott

MythTV Official wiki:
http://mythtv.org/wiki/
MythTV users list archive:
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users

"An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin