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Is writing Popcorn Time itself actually illegal?

by Rusky 13y ago

drunkcatsdgaf 13y ago
I dont see how. PCT is scrapper with a pretty UI for the most part.
DanBC 13y ago
Circumventing a rights control measure is illegal and there are probably lawyers who would want to make that case to test it in court.
- PeterisP 13y ago
  1) The software that is included in popcorntime isn't circumventing any rights control measure - the bittorrents that it accesses don't include any rights control measures that would need to be circumvented. The people who originally supplied and seeded those may (or may not) have used some software that circumvents rights control measures, but that's not included in Popcorntime. 2) Circumventing rights control measures is legal in my country and most countries globally. Copyright laws as agreed in Berne conventions and implemented in local legislation simply don't mention such measures and their circumvention in any way, they handle just the copyright part. USA has a single very specific law - DMCA - that restricts such circumvention; it has been trying to "export" that concept to other countries through trade treaties; but it hasn't succeeded for the most part; making and distributing such tools is legal almost everywhere - and the legality of using them depends on the legality of actual act you're doing; if you're allowed to make that copy (i.e., personal backups) the the use is legal; if you're not (i.e., for redistribution), then the copying is illegal but the 'rights control measure' doesn't change anything at all and its circumvention is irrelevant.
  - DanBC 13y ago
    DMCA implements two treaties from WIPO. These were also implemented by the EU as the Copyright Directive. Thus, circumventing a copyright control measure is not legal in some EU countries. The point is not if what Popcorn Time is doing is illegal, but that there are plenty of well funded lawyers who will take money to make the argument that it is and will happily spend a long time in court arguing that point.
psykovsky 13y ago
I'll get right back to you on that...

Is writing Popcorn Time itself actually illegal?

by Rusky 13y ago

Is writing Popcorn Time itself actually illegal?

drunkcatsdgaf 13y ago

I dont see how. PCT is scrapper with a pretty UI for the most part.

DanBC 13y ago

Circumventing a rights control measure is illegal and there are probably lawyers who would want to make that case to test it in court.

PeterisP 13y ago
1) The software that is included in popcorntime isn't circumventing any rights control measure - the bittorrents that it accesses don't include any rights control measures that would need to be circumvented. The people who originally supplied and seeded those may (or may not) have used some software that circumvents rights control measures, but that's not included in Popcorntime. 2) Circumventing rights control measures is legal in my country and most countries globally. Copyright laws as agreed in Berne conventions and implemented in local legislation simply don't mention such measures and their circumvention in any way, they handle just the copyright part. USA has a single very specific law - DMCA - that restricts such circumvention; it has been trying to "export" that concept to other countries through trade treaties; but it hasn't succeeded for the most part; making and distributing such tools is legal almost everywhere - and the legality of using them depends on the legality of actual act you're doing; if you're allowed to make that copy (i.e., personal backups) the the use is legal; if you're not (i.e., for redistribution), then the copying is illegal but the 'rights control measure' doesn't change anything at all and its circumvention is irrelevant.
- DanBC 13y ago
  DMCA implements two treaties from WIPO. These were also implemented by the EU as the Copyright Directive. Thus, circumventing a copyright control measure is not legal in some EU countries. The point is not if what Popcorn Time is doing is illegal, but that there are plenty of well funded lawyers who will take money to make the argument that it is and will happily spend a long time in court arguing that point.

psykovsky 13y ago

I'll get right back to you on that...