Comments on: TVCatchup on hold after broadcasters weigh in http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/02/19/tvcatchup-on-hold-after-broadcasters-weigh-in/ Tracking the UK's mobile and web start-up ecosystem. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:13:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Ben http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/02/19/tvcatchup-on-hold-after-broadcasters-weigh-in/#comment-115776 Ben Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:12:57 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/02/19/tvcatchup-on-hold-after-broadcasters-weigh-in/#comment-115776 Actually, the website didn't record anything, according to the information given in their forums, it was the users who recorded material. As Rick states, it is highly unlikely that the broadcasters would want to see their cartel threatened by an adverse court ruling, so it seems that TV Catchup has been driven to the edge by sheer intimidation. Given the conduct of broadcasters of late (I'm thinking of ITV screwing users over £7.8M over phoney phone-ins on Ant and Dec, the BBC with their Blue Peter scam quiz and Channel 4s Richard and Judy scam) very little would surprise me. And given that the BBC has spent millions of pounds of public money, our licence fees, on developing their iPlayer that won't even work on Apple Macs, PDAs, mobile phones or games consoles (unlike TV Catchup) they have a great deal to explain. Thank you TVC for opening our eyes, hopefully you will be back with us before too long Actually, the website didn’t record anything, according to the information given in their forums, it was the users who recorded material.

As Rick states, it is highly unlikely that the broadcasters would want to see their cartel threatened by an adverse court ruling, so it seems that TV Catchup has been driven to the edge by sheer intimidation.

Given the conduct of broadcasters of late (I’m thinking of ITV screwing users over £7.8M over phoney phone-ins on Ant and Dec, the BBC with their Blue Peter scam quiz and Channel 4s Richard and Judy scam) very little would surprise me.

And given that the BBC has spent millions of pounds of public money, our licence fees, on developing their iPlayer that won’t even work on Apple Macs, PDAs, mobile phones or games consoles (unlike TV Catchup) they have a great deal to explain.

Thank you TVC for opening our eyes, hopefully you will be back with us before too long

]]> By: Rick http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/02/19/tvcatchup-on-hold-after-broadcasters-weigh-in/#comment-115587 Rick Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:53:26 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/2008/02/19/tvcatchup-on-hold-after-broadcasters-weigh-in/#comment-115587 "Unfortunately for TVCatchup, the law is applied to personal use such as video recorders, not commercial operations." I really like to see that tested in court for once (TVCatchup is not the only player in this market, there are initiatives like these worldwide). The recordings are for personal use, and the sale of physical video recorders is also a commercial operation. A judge might very well conclude that this is just a modern version of the same, perfectly legal application. This could also be the reason broadcasters have sofar refrained from direct legal action: the outcome could very well set a very unwelcome precedent. “Unfortunately for TVCatchup, the law is applied to personal use such as video recorders, not commercial operations.”

I really like to see that tested in court for once (TVCatchup is not the only player in this market, there are initiatives like these worldwide). The recordings are for personal use, and the sale of physical video recorders is also a commercial operation. A judge might very well conclude that this is just a modern version of the same, perfectly legal application.

This could also be the reason broadcasters have sofar refrained from direct legal action: the outcome could very well set a very unwelcome precedent.

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