[mythtv-users] Broadcast Flag Article mentions MythTV and quotes Issac

[Andy Long]

Cable isn't losing money throught people sharing TV shows.  The
networks maybe are (and that is risky).  What about the case of
broadcast television or OTA-HD content.  No one pays a nickel for
that, and never have, yet I haven't seen NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS or any
others go belly up.

Most people pay for cable because its convenient.  If the networks all
decided to distribute their shows over bit torrent and everyone went
that route, then tough shit for the cable companies.  It's not like
they have some right to exist, nor are we indebted to them. 
Innovation has changed how content was distributed before, and it will
do so again.  The broadcast flag is just an attempt by the networks to
keep from having to switch to a new method of distribution, because
when that happens some of the old hats in the industry might lose
money.  We are *slowly* seeing the music industry come around to this
notion that if you sell the people what they want, they won't do it
illegally.

If only one person in the country paid for cable and then shared the
shows, don't you think content creators/copyright holders would
realize that? In such an instance, where everyone has shown preference
for getting TV/movies via the internet, which would you say is better:
 prosecuting everyone and making them get cable, or putting content in
the form people want and letting them access it that way?  It's
something that could still be charged for.  It just takes a different
business model to do it.  Just because people are choosing to get
their content in a different way doesn't mean that it should
inherently be illegal.  It just means the market is changing, and the
law should allow the market to find its happy medium.


On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 17:01:12 +0000, Allan Stirling
<Dibblahmythml0015 at pendor.org> wrote:
> Matt Grommes wrote:
> > Yes, thank you. The willingness people have to just cave to anything the
> > media industry says is very disheartening. We need to have some common
> > sense about these things and not just allow industry to dictate the
> > features and uses we're "allowed" to have.
> 
> Following this to absurdity, if what you are stating is legal, only one
> person in the US would have to subscribe to each of the available
> channels. They could then share out all the programs with their friends,
> who could share out to their friends.
> 
> I really wouldn't want to have that person's cable bill.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Allan.
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