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Low-power FM Transmitters Banned in UK

Posted by michael on from the getting-your-priorities-straight dept.

Acey writes "The BBC News is reporting that the Griffin iTrip falls foul of the UK Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 (PDF). In short, the iTrip is an unlicensed FM transmitter and that's not allowed. The UK distributor, A M Micro, have pulled the iTrip. More ominously they warn that "Use of the iTrip in the UK therefore constitutes an offence and can lead to prosecution of the User". Guess that makes me an outlaw, because you'll have to pry my iTrip from my cold, dead hands."

13 of 562 comments (clear)

  1. How will they enforce? by davisshaver · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How exactly will they enforce this? Will it be like a second degree offence, like seat belts are in some US states?

    --
    "What we have here is a failure to communicate"
    The Warden, Cool Hand Luke
    1. Re:How will they enforce? by Frymaster · · Score: 5, Interesting
      What would actually happen is that if your device happened to be in range of someone's receiver and interfered with the channel they were trying to listen to...

      the whole point of a lot of british broadcasting law isn't to protect the listener/consumer, it was originally designed to protect the broadcaster - the bbc. you have to understand that in the uk, unlike the us or europe, the legal tradition has been firmly against private broadcasting.

      originally, the bbc was the only broadcaster allowed in the uk - radio being "too powerful" a tool to be left to private interests. but, of course, the bbc sucked and by the '30s most of the uk was listening to european stations - most notably radio luxembourg - with bad reception but better programming. many of the broadcasting laws from the 40s were designed to discourage these "foreign" stations.

      by the 60s there were a lot of private broadcasters targeting britain, though, by setting up shop on boats outside the three mile limit in international waters. the notable one here is radio caroline of course. the labour government at the time was simply balistic about this movement but couldn't legally squealch it because of that pesky maritime law thing.

      of course, it all came to a grinding halt when a guy called major smedly (who was a bit of a nut job in the first place) pulled a piracy job on a competing station called radio city. eventually, the battle took to dry land and smedly shot and killed calvert. the result was the marine broadcasting offenses act of 1967 which was pretty draconian and the pirate broadcasters were shut donw.

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  2. Well if that is the case by youngerpants · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Walkie-talkies should be banned as their signals can be picked up by an FM receiver (at least my old action man ones could, although the range was about 3 metres)

  3. Neuros? by tuffy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What about the Neuros' built-in low-power FM transmitting capability? Are those illegal to use in the UK also? It all seems a bit excessive to me, considering the tiny range.

    --

    Ita erat quando hic adveni.

    1. Re:Neuros? by MikeCamel · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Yes, it is illegal, and not just in the UK - this is quite common in Europe, I believe. If you look at the Neuros forum pages, you'll see that they're intending to disable broadcast capability. They may well do this in firmware.

  4. Eclectic Micro Stations by niko9 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This could/can be the begining of eclectic microstations. You can tune into a 24/7 iTrip at work/your building/bus stop etc., instead of listening to one of big conglomerate boring stations.

    My other sig is an ambulance!

  5. OT but reminds me of .... by tetranz · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Many years ago I remember reading a British electronics hobbyist magazine which had an article on how to build a metal detector. There was a warning that before using it you needed to go to a government office and get a pipe finders license.

  6. Re:Government-controlled media by turgid · · Score: 5, Interesting
    and nazis in vans prowl around and bust people for having TV's without paying a tribute?

    This is no exaggeration. I had no TV for 6 years and those gits hounded me relentlessly. They kept sending me threatening letters warning of a possible 1000 fine for not having a TV license even though I didn't have a TV. They made me sign a form declaring that I had no TV set, which I did, and then they sent me another one, and another one, and I phoned them and told them and then they sent and inspector to my house!

    When I moved house, they started sending the letters again, which I signed and returned. A week or two later a poster went up on the billboard across the road saying "3 addresses at Himalayan Way do not have Television Licenses. We know who they are."

    I was so tempted to go out with a can of paint and write "At least one of them has no TV set" but I didn't. A year later I bought a TV and a damned license. Now I spend too much time as a TV zombie and not enough time writing code.

    Television is a powerful opiate and population control machanism. I admire people who can control it. I'm succumbing again.

    --
    Stick Men
  7. Low powered FM by 56ker · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The FM range 88 - 108 MHz has been used for wireless microphones for ages - how are these Griffin Itrips any different?

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    Video Game cheats, hints a
  8. More barriers to market entry by Gothmolly · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why the fuss over low power FM? Because it allows anyone to become a broadcaster or content creator. By raising the specter of 'interference', broadcasters and others can FUD the legislatures into banning enabling technologies like this.

    --
    I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
  9. Re:Government-controlled media by rsidd · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I'd claw my eyes out if I lived in the US and had to watch your crap channels.


    Indeed. I live in the US, I don't own a TV (CNN and Faux News? No thanks). I get much of my news from the BBC's website. Government-controlled? Is that why Blair and Alistair Campbell and friends are so upset with them lately?

  10. Re:regulation of the airwaves by Viol8 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Christ , get up to date, that was back in the 60s!
    These days you just get teenagers and other retards broadcasting from the top of a tower block
    with a directional microwave link to the studio so they're harder to track down by the police.

  11. Re:Government-controlled media by lokedhs · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In sweden, it would sound like this:

    "Hello, we've noticed you don't pay a television license. Do you have a TV?"
    "No"
    "We detected a TV from our van, inside your property."
    "No you didn't. Must be a mistake."
    "Sir, I can hear [insert name of crappy US sitcom here] theme coming from inside your appartment."
    "You must be imagining it."
    "Sir, if we need to, we can get a warrant to enter the premises and be back within the hour."
    "No you can't."
    "Damn you right. We can't. But if you don't pay your license we'll taunt you again!"

    The television license inspectors do not have the right to enter your house unless you admit them. And they would not get a warrant even if they tried. Only crimes above a certain severity can give them a warrant to enter your house.