Is this legal?

**joker_927** · April 19th, 2005, 07:18 PM

Recording a TV show using my TV tuner card, encoding it, and then distrubiting it to people (for no charge)

**butch81385** · April 19th, 2005, 07:23 PM

i believe it is, due to the copyright on the show.. same as if you copied a movie and distributed it freely... but if it is not on cable or satellite (just regular airwaves) there may be an exception since it is freely distributed to begin with

**RobRich** · April 19th, 2005, 07:24 PM

Illegal, though I doubt anyone is going to report you for doing the same act the VCR has already been performing for over two decades.

**Shabow** · April 19th, 2005, 07:24 PM

Yes, it is illegal in about every situation....

**joker_927** · April 19th, 2005, 07:35 PM

So what is point of a VCR? Where is the law that states you can record TV, but if u let anyone watch your tape, you go to jail?

**redfoxstorm** · April 19th, 2005, 07:35 PM

did he just tell on himself?

**butch81385** · April 19th, 2005, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by redfoxstorm

did he just tell on himself?

or asking as a precaution

**RobRich** · April 19th, 2005, 07:38 PM

So what is point of a VCR?

Duplication of non-copyrighted content, such as birthday parties and weddings - lame, isn't it?

**RicheemxX** · April 19th, 2005, 07:42 PM

as with any of these threads the key word is DISTRIBUTE you can record anything you'd like for yourself but once you share/distribute it with another person you are breaking the law

**joker_927** · April 19th, 2005, 07:43 PM

Technically Tivo is 100% illegal then? interesting.

**butch81385** · April 19th, 2005, 07:44 PM

nope, because you record them for yourself

**mike_sanfil** · April 19th, 2005, 07:49 PM

Ya, you can legaly record stuff and watch it as long as you don't make multiple copies. I also found out that it is illegal to make a dvd from a vhs that you brought from the store. I guess it is illegal to change the format of any copyrighted material. That's pretty dumb IMO. :P

**RobRich** · April 19th, 2005, 07:51 PM

Technically Tivo is 100% illegal then?

No, because it is for personal fair use. A VCR can be used in the same manner, but how many people actually use a VCR for "personal use" only? I suspect the percentage is rather low. Most people seem to use VCR's to record copyrighted content, usually from rentals, which is highly illegal.

Google "fair use rights" for more info.

On a related note, if Orin Hatch ever gets the current draft of the Induce Act passed; your VCR, TiVo, tuner card, and even iPod could be considered illegal.

**-FMA** · April 19th, 2005, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by RobRich

Duplication of non-copyrighted content, such as birthday parties and weddings - lame, isn't it?

I found that pretty funny.

What if I decided to record something on a DVD and then my dumb buddy watched it whithout my permission. Then I would have to turn myself in because I would not want to break the law.

Who is with me!
(...)

**HeadBand** · April 19th, 2005, 07:58 PM

our school district recently had a bunch of lawyers come in and take away all things that may have been infringing...so all the teachers had no videos to show from all the stuff they taped off the history channel or anything...they were pretty angry about it

i think there is a time limit on how long you are allowed to save something like that

**RobRich** · April 19th, 2005, 08:00 PM

I found that pretty funny.

Well, he asked what the reason for the VCR was.

To copy TV content was illegal even for fair use until Sony v. Universal City Studios reached the Supreme Court, meaning the VCR was originally intended (and marketed) to duplicate non-copyrighted content.

**RicheemxX** · April 19th, 2005, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by HeadBand

our school district recently had a bunch of lawyers come in and take away all things that may have been infringing...so all the teachers had no videos to show from all the stuff they taped off the history channel or anything...they were pretty angry about it

now something like that i think is just plain out and out stupid

I really doubt that a school would get into trouble for something like that but I guess from a lawyers POV better safe than sorry

**-FMA** · April 19th, 2005, 08:02 PM

i think there is a time limit on how long you are allowed to save something like that

I don't belive so.

**RobRich** · April 19th, 2005, 08:02 PM

so all the teachers had no videos to show from all the stuff they taped off the history channel or anything

That same scenerio has played out at several other schools across the US. It is a little far fetched IMO to impose strict copyrights on television programs being effectively used in the course of education, but school systems are trying to protect their funding.