[mythtv-users] Big Myth system (2-3 satellite receivers + capture devices, 5 tvs, Samsung DLNA) ?

Simon Hobson linux at thehobsons.co.uk
Mon Oct 10 07:13:13 UTC 2011


Jay Ashworth wrote:

>I'm sure there's some universe in which Linux Guy's comment did *not* parse as
>"I'm not trying to engage in criminal behaviour, so don't respond as if I am
>anyway", but apparently *this* universe is not it.

The problem is, that if he is in the US, then he **WOULD** be 
engaging in criminal activity using anything but the service 
providers approved hardware to watch the service he pays for. That is 
the absurdity of the DMCA which makes it a criminal act to try and 
watch content you've paid for via any means other than that which is 
approved by the content provider. Thus is it legal for him to use a 
PVR supplied/approved by the service provider, but not to use MythTV 
to watch the same transmission on the same TV set.

Even if the OP was outside the US, the mailing list and many of the 
developers are. All it needs is discussion of what to the <insert 
almost any country outside of US> based user is completely legal 
behaviour and the content providers can serve a DMCA takedown notice 
on whoever hosts this mailing list. When that happens, the list 
**will** go offline and it's then for the admins to persuade their 
hosting company that they haven't actually broken any law and the 
takedown notice was issued under false pretences.

Another failing of the DMCA is that there is no penalty for making 
false claims like that, and thus it can be used to stifle discussion 
in pretty well anything as long as you can claim (correctly or not) 
that there was discussion of methods for bypassing "technical 
protection measures".

That should explain why discussion of using CI modules etc, even 
where it is approved by the service provider as I believe it is in 
some cases, is not allowed on this list.

The correct response to that should therefore be "the law sucks, we 
need to get it changed". Good luck, the big film studios have more 
money than you and own more politicians !


A second issue is that whenever MythTV appears in the media, it's 
usually promoted (by the media) as a tool for stealing content. Any 
discussion of means to bypass protection, whether legal or not, is 
ammunition for that point of view.

-- 
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.


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