Hi folks, I can't believe this! I added comments and was linking from the Internet blog... and added a direct link to the FdairTeading policies - showing where the Beeb management dropped a massive clanger...
OK - it was to the PDF itself - http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/policies/fairtrading/ under here... But it's hosted by the SAME ORG! Just had to rant.. Alex Dear BBC community member, Thank you for contributing to a BBC community site. Unfortunately we've had to edit your Posting below because it contravened one of our House Rules. Postings to BBC messageboards may be removed if they: * Contain links to other websites which break our Editorial Guidelines The URL(s) which failed were: http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/policies/fairtrading/pdf/fairtrading_guidelines_260210.pdf Please read the messageboard external links Editorial Guidelines page, for more information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/messageboards/newguide/popup_editorial_guidelines.html You can read the BBC messageboards House Rules in full here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/messageboards/newguide/popup_house_rules.html Please be careful when you copy the text of someone else’s message into your post. If their posting is subsequently removed, your posting may also have been removed, as it contained a copy of their failed text. Please note that anyone who seriously or repeatedly breaks the House Rules may have action taken against their account. http://www.bbc.co.uk/messageboards/newguide/popup_breaking_rules.html Regards, The BBC Communities Team http://www.bbc.co.uk/messageboards/newguide/ URL of content (now edited): http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbiplayer/F7331806?thread=7320127&post=93837335#p93837335 Subject: xbmc iplayer plugin Posting: Umm - but in the case of Linux - it *doesn't*. The BBC has inadvertently forced iPlayer users to be tied into an EULA with Adobe - and have ended up limiting themselves to the platforms Adobe Flash >8 runs on.. in the case of desktop use. Consequently, they've inadvertently possibly broken several clauses in their own Fair Trading guidelines - [Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator] Specifically - on page 46, there is a clause about "Tying: making supply of one product conditional on the customer accepting another product" which is described as a "Potential non-pricing abuse(s)". Through their actions, the BBC have tied iPlayer customers to Adobe. Please could someone review some of the suggestions being made on the Internet blog thread - for example, these comments.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2010/03/bbc_iplayer_content_protection.html#P93792434 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2010/03/bbc_iplayer_content_protection.html#P93793792 A key point in that discussion is... "Remember, the key point is that the BBC should not be mandating a proprietary, single-source, vendor specific technology. The BBC should not be mandating that all users must install Adobe technology. The BBC should not be mandating that all entrepreneurs who want to build catchup-enabled TVs/STBs must be at the whim /of a single vendor/ ." SWF Verification is a fig-leaf at best. Here's a suggestion as to how the same thing could be achieved using open standards... http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2010/03/bbc_iplayer_content_protection.html#P93783075 Here is the crux - full post... http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2010/03/bbc_iplayer_content_protection.html#P93796004 Key issue... "It is not us who wish to dictate the medium, we merely wish that the BBC does not dictate whose vendors technology we have to use. We merely wish that the BBC *not* require us to enter into licensing agreements with Adobe. We merely wish the ability to build TV/set-top-box software on top of non-PC architectures, without having to pay Adobe royalties (and potentially large porting fees). The BBC has not, for a very long time, had the general right to restrict access to equipment built on the technology of a single vendor. For this reason, for TV equipment, as you pointed out, the BBC is involved in formulating standards in co-operation with a number of vendors and broadcasters. These standards are then openly published (modulo some recent controversy of course). We'll settle for that with catchup." And from the BBC charter with a developer's comments.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2010/03/bbc_iplayer_content_protection.html#P93800066 Key issue is this... "BBC Online should, at all times, balance the potential for creating public value against the risk of negative market impact." I do not believe the BBCs' programmers should be the sole supplier of iPlayer clients. I do not believe the BBC should be building its iPlayer on the proprietary, single-source technology of Adobe. I do believe other programmers, including free software programmers and entrepreneurial programmers, who wish to build software and/or devices to access BBC iPlayer should be allowed to do so, on the same terms as anyone else - including the BBC software development working on iPlayer. I believe to restrict non-BBC programmers in this way is anti-competitive, hurts the market and goes against the remit set for BBC Online. I believe favouring the proprietary of a single vendor is prejudicial to all other vendors who compete in that space or with that vendor in any other way. **It is prejudicial to STB/TV software vendors who are left at the whim of a single-vendor (i.e. when it comes to porting Adobe flash to their embedded STB system).** The BBC should instead move to build iPlayer on multi-vendor, open standards based technologies (e.g. HTML5 as an example of an existing tech; otherwise the BBC should participate in standards setting if no current standards are suitable)." The BBC is no longer in control of iPlayer - Adobe is - as the contribution to the solution the Beeb make is reliant on Adobe still enabling their client to run - and kit that Adobe do not develop for is locked out. The FOSS community would probably be willing to help support and extend... just give people an open spec, and we can all help to make legal ways of watching BBC content much more attractive than dubious torrents et al. This e-mail, and any attachment, is confidential. If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use or disclose the information in any way, and notify us immediately. The contents of this message may contain personal views which are not the views of the BBC, unless specifically stated. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
