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FCC Says TiVo Owners Can Share Shows

Posted by timothy on from the with-enough-caveats-you-can-build-a-boat dept.

Ec|ipse writes "Last week TiVo received alot of heat from MPAA and NFL for a proposal regarding sharing of recorded shows with users, see previous story. Today it looks like TiVo has received approval." From the Reuters story as carried by Yahoo!: "TiVo, maker of popular digital television recording devices, on Wednesday received approval for technology that would permit users to send copies of digital broadcast shows over the Internet to a few friends."

13 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Amazing... A step forward? by ianbnet · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I am always skeptical of how this will play out in the long run, but this looks like it could have a significant impact in returning fair-use rights to consumers.

    I would love to know how this might act as a precedent for computer-based sharing methods... i.e. recording a show with BeyondTV or another PVR and emailing it to a friend.

    --
    --------------------- -me, Crusher of those who are Foolish (don't be foolish)
    1. Re:Amazing... A step forward? by TedTschopp · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Now, they just need to come up with a system so you can track your closest friends to ensure that you don't give it to someone who isn't a friend of yours.

      Oh, wait, do I really want the government to have that information? I mean it would be wonderful, when they drag you in for being a terrorist, they can drag your friends in as well, or when one of your friends gets dragged in, so do you.

      Ted Tschopp

      --
      Fantasy remains a human right; we make in our measure and in our derivative mode... -- JRR Tolkien
    2. Re:Amazing... A step forward? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      More like a step to the side. Clearly not backwards but not entirely forward either.

      Here's the problem: "fair use" cannot be determined by a computer algorithm. People are attempting to use computer algorithms to make sure nothing outside "fair use" happens. Since error is inevitable, media companies always make sure the error is in the direction of "they're just making a backup but we think they're a pirate" than "they're making four hundred copies, but hey, maybe they've got 400 TVs". They may adjust their formulas every now and then but the new formulas will still be wrong.

      As long as we accept computers making LEGAL DECISIONS for us, then we will never get our fair use rights back. Getting fair use rights back MEANS also getting back the ability to pirate media. You can't separate one activity from the other except with a human judge. ...which is the way it should be. All DRM should simply go away. You will then have ALL of your fair use rights, and you will also have the ability to pirate media. However, pirating media has been against the law for as long as I can remember (longer than the computer industry has existed for sure), so you can still get arrested for it.

      So in my Slashdot-friendly dream world, everyone has fair use rights and pirates go to jail. In RIAA/MPAA DRM-friendly dream world, "fair use" users and pirates are both thrown in jail, and media companies, not the law, get to determine the new definition of "fair use". Today's definition is "sharing with 9 friends".

  2. I wonder... by Marscity9 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have heard rumors about PMP (personal/portable media players) being able to hook up to the TIVO, and then you can watch it anywhere. If this would allow it, I think it would be great for Tivo, so anyone can use it to watch their favorite show anywhere.

  3. Wow... by Cyno01 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Lets hear it for, uhm, more than fair use. So are we liking the FCC this week now or what?

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  4. ReplayTV was right after all by vaylen · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Maybe this means http://www.planetreplay.com/ can allow people to share shows from their ReplayTV's again.

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  5. is this in the FCC's jurisdiction? by josecanuc · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Is this in the FCC's jurisdiction? They are in charge of regulating the airwaves of the United States. Once you've received a digital program over the air, does the FCC have any more authority to tell you what you can do with the copyrighted product that they don't even have the rights to distribute?

    I'm just asking...

    1. Re:is this in the FCC's jurisdiction? by ca1v1n · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The FCC has the power to regulate devices which receive such signals. The TiVo does this. If you separated the receiver and the more interesting parts of the TiVo into separate black boxes, you probably wouldn't get anywhere, since they'd functionally be part of the same device.

      --
      WARNING: there is a trojan on your
  6. Yeah, Right. by scowling · · Score: 4, Interesting

    1. There's no way that this is gonna last.

    2. This is going to be used by current Usenet, BT and Kazaa-based sharers as justification for their broad distribution of TV shows (don't get me wrong; I download TV, but I wouldn't justify it like this).

    --
    www.kitchengeek.com -- Nosh for
  7. Just Wait until someone gets sued... by CygnusXII · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This will last until someone get sued, and the case is taken to the Supreme court. It works the same way with legislation. Remember, this is FCC regulation, that doesn't mean it is final. The FCC is as wishy washy as all get out. Remember these are the Same folks that just said they were going to Regulate Violence on TV. Let us not lose track of the way Regulation and FCC have worked together. How bout them Analog Airwave Rights passing to Public Access?
    Now they are going to the highest bidder, once the Broadcasting corporations decide to grudgingly let loose of them.
    Still I am glad to see they are hanging themselves out there for the little guy, for once. (at least for NOW)

    --
    My cat's picked up a Hammer. HEY! Put down that Hammer. Put Down that Hamm...THUNK!
  8. MythTV...... by AciDive · · Score: 2, Interesting

    has been able to do this for quite some time via it's frontend/backend style setup. all you need to do is have a friend with a mythtv frontend or backend and have one of either or both yourself and you can watch the other persons shows over the internet.

    --
    "Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect." Linus Torvalds
  9. This only makes sence by nurb432 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Since these shows were broadcast to the public, who can record them, it only makes sence to allow sharing.

    Sharing the copy of the broadcast would be no different then both people recording them on their own.

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    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  10. Nielsen Ratings by bjb · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Lets try this approach: Sharing is fine. As long as the commercials and station calls are retained (i.e. ads for the station, or those little transparent logos in the bottom right corner) then I don't see why there should be much of a problem. I mean, if the broadcast of the show is effectively for free to the consumer's set (ad-revenue supported) then as long as the station IDs and commercials stay, whats the difference?

    The only thing that I can see being a serious issue is that of Nielsen ratings. If there is the chance that people are going to watch these shows after the fact and as such cannot be caught by the Nielsen rating system, then would this hurt the broadcaster?

    Just a thought...

    --
    Never hit your grandmother with a shovel, for it leaves a bad impression on her mind...