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

[Shawn Willden]

Andrew Close wrote:

>i still don't quite get this.  if i invite 20 ppl over to watch 'Lost'
>on Weds night isn't that a group showing?  i'm not profiting, peddling
>or gaining in any way other than enjoying a show with a 'group' of
>friends.
>  
>

As I understand it, technically it's illegal to show your recordings to 
your friends if you have lots of them.  Even if the question were to go 
to court, as long as you weren't doing anything commerical I expect 
you'd be fine.  In practice, nothing at all would happen because the 
copyright holder would never know, and wouldn't care if they did know.

>and if group showing is illegal then how do sports bars and public
>places with televisions playing get away with it?
>

They pay fees for this privilege, or they're supposed to, anyway.  Same 
with playing the radio in a commercial establishment, or for "hold" 
music on phone systems, etc.  I worked for a small software house that 
used to pipe a radio station on the phones as hold music for tech 
support, and we got a cease and desist in the mail because someone 
reported us.  After that, we bought a commercial music feed designed 
specifically for that purpose.

>and if that's the case then won't renting movies from Blockbuster
>become illegal if i'm there picking out a movie with my family?  it
>will be a group viewing when we get home...
>  
>

The "group viewing" language includes an exception for family, IIRC.  To 
have a problem, you have to be showing it to more than a dozen or so 
people, who aren't family.

>unemployment should virtually disappear in the next couple years
>because everyone will be able to get a job in some area of law
>inforcement so that there are enough officers to enforce this
>silliness...
>

:-)

This has been the case for a while now.  It was all worked out in the 
early 80s when VCRs came on the scene.

    Shawn.