4 ms·
I've read the NYT article instead ( http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/business/media/aereo-wins-in-appeals-court-setting-stage-for-trial-on-streaming-broadcast-
by MikeKusold 14y ago
I've read the NYT article instead ( http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/business/media/aereo-wins-in-appeals-court-setting-stage-for-trial-on-streaming-broadcast-tv.html?smid=tw-share http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/business/media/aereo-wins-... ), but the following excerpt really rubbed me wrong:
A group of other broadcasters, including Fox and PBS,
said they intended to move toward a trial. “Today’s
decision is a loss for the entire creative community,”
the group said in a statement. “The court has ruled that
it is O.K. to steal copyrighted material and retransmit it
without compensation. While we are disappointed with
this decision, we have and are considering our options
to protect our programming.”
Why is PBS fighting this? They are subsidized from the government with the goal of providing educational television to every one. If anything, PBS should think this is a great idea. More viewers mean more potential donors during phonathons.
- ajross 14y agoPBS sells their content for revenue just like everyone else does. It's true their financials are more complicated, but their motivations really aren't any different. That is, until someone starts a popular campaign of withholding pledges until PBS/CPB adopts a more progressive copyright policy.
- ripter 14y agoI'm not clear how you can steal something that is over the air.
- njharman 14y agoEasy, all It takes decades of lobbyists crafting ever more lengthily, ever more broad, and ever more draconian Copyright legislation.
- GHFigs 14y agoAre you saying that over-the-air broadcasts were not initially covered by copyright?
- delinka 14y agoI think he's saying OTA was initially not something in the category of "can be taken by theft."
- coldpie 14y agoWhat's the maximum distance that my antenna can be from my viewing device before I begin to violate copyright?
- chii 14y agoThe moment someone else other than the copyright owner makes any money, is the moment they are deemed to have violated copyright.
- CamperBob2 14y agoSo 'TV Guide' violates the networks' copyright. Got it.
- njharman 14y agoNo. Since you brought it up, going back to USA's initial copyright law. That would nicely undo the decades of paid for, special interest legislation.
- warfangle 14y agoThis is the same battle that broadcasters fought against cable companies in the 60's and 70's, when cable companies basically sold access to a large antenna some miles away through their coaxial: their primary customers often lived in places where television signals did not reach (valleys, etc). Everything about this rubs me the wrong way: from PBS fighting it to there even _being_ a market for Aereo (it shouldn't be necessary, given modern technology).
- Stwerp 14y ago> Everything about this rubs me the wrong way: ... to there even _being_ a market for Aereo (it shouldn't be necessary, given modern technology). Sadly, though, there is a _huge_ hole in the market for cheap, easy-to-setup DVR boxes for over-the-air broadcasts. Mythtv is too tedious for the average consumer to bother with, and items like HD Homerun still require some sort of backend server (of sorts) running to schedule record times. Tivo is perhaps the cheapest option, but its monthly service costs are still higher than this option (and still requires separate purchase of a box). For $8 a month for a 40 hour DVR box, this sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.
- baddox 14y ago> Why is PBS fighting this? They are subsidized from the government You answered your question right there.