On Fri, Jan 14, 2005 at 03:19:04PM -0600, Andrew Close wrote: > On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 13:02:49 -0800, Brad Templeton > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Fri, Jan 14, 2005 at 11:34:22AM -0500, Paul Kidwell wrote: > > <snip> > > > And of course, most of those shows can be found via bittorrent, not > > that I would advise you to violate any copyrights. Not at the same > > size you recorded them, though. > > ooooo! i had to reply to this. or ask this question. :) > is it really violating copyright by downloading bittorrented tv shows > that you could record using your VCR/PRV/DVR? (assuming you're paying > for your cable or whatever service you're using...) > if i'm already paying for the content and happen to mis-program my > 'VCR' and don't get the show, then why can't i grab it via bittorrent? > i'm not saying it's right or wrong, or that the MPAA won't knock on > your door. just asking if that would be a valid arguement.
Since lawsuits over this sort of thing are rare, it's hard to give an exact answer. Technically, it is a copyright violation, but fair use rules are fluid. Not every copy is a violation. Recording a show to watch it later is not a violation. Recording a show and transcoding it to a different format to play on a different device is not. Making a backup copy of something you legitimately own is not a violation. Distributing copies to or from strangers is more likely to be a violation. It gets worse if the commercials are stripped, too. However, when it's a program anybody can get off the air, the history is people don't care as much about it, so you don't see a lot of lawsuits. But torrent sites are being shut down now, some for doing TV, though more for movies.
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