BBC Opens TV Archive to Remixers

megla writes "The BBC has opened its Creative Archive to the public, allowing users to be VJs and remix BBC content. The BBC's "current music" radio station, Radio 1, is running a competition in conjunction with the release. Unfortunately, the license the content is released under requires that you are a UK resident to use it." For British residents, however, this is well worth the television license.

Comments

The Beeb

[FyRE666]

You know, I never used to be a big fan of the BBC and its licence for UK viewers. However, the great content it's made available via its website, complete lack of advertisements and new shows (recently) have really changed my view. The news service is largely unbiased, far less biased than any US channel/website I've visited. Also, since it's non-commercial it allows them to experiment more, and include news articles and pieces that aren't totally focussed on bringing in page hits.

I did subscribe to Sky a while back, but dropped it after finding the 5 minute ad breaks every 15 minutes extremely annoying (the channels all seem to display adverts at the same time too, to stop channel hopping I guess), and constant repeats. Sky make a huge deal out of any show they're airing for the first time, instead of the 5001st - and pepper them with even more adverts.

So basically, the short version of this comment is: "Fuck Sky, Go Beeb".

Re:The Beeb

[sparks]

Having moved from the UK to Canada a few years back, let me just say that I yearn with nostalgic longing for the time when I could watch TV with five-minute ad breaks only every fifteen minutes.

Re:The Beeb

[stevey]

I don't think many people could convincingly argue that the BBC doesn't produce an enormous range of programs, and services.

But I do personally object to the license fee. As things stand I currently own a TV which I use for watching DVDs almost exclusively.

Despite this I have to pay the mandatory BBC-tax every year, just because I own a television.

I would love to see the TV license changed to a BBC license, and would happily have my set neutered if it meant that I didn't have to pay.

At the moment I watch a lot of BBC produced content on DVD, which I've paid for (Red Dwarf, Faulty Towers, Monty Python, etc, etc), and it irks me that I must give them more money every year for little obvious benefit.

Sure I'm listening to their radio station, and watching their website - but so are thousands of other people in foreign countries (with things like the BBC World Service) who don't have to pay this tax.

Re:The Beeb

[pdhenry]

As I understand the UK licensing (licencing) law, you would not have to pay a licence fee if you do not have a device capable of receiving or recording TV programming. If you have a DVD player with no recording capability and a monitor without a tuner you may be exempt from licencing requirements.
See http://www.kevinboone.com/tv_licence.html for a but more information.
Also see http://www.tvlicensing.biz/info_on_tvlicensing/
IANAL.

Re:The Beeb

[jo42]

Yeppers, having 2 minutes of commercials for every minute of content turns yer brain into ICBS mush. And do we really need to see the same ad for the same product 8-10 times during a one hour period?

Now that I aquire my TV shows through other means, where all the brain sludge has been removed, advertisers can go fork themselves sideways with a stiff wire brush.

Re:The Beeb

[Space cowboy]

They have a list of people who own a licence, and therefore by default a list of those who don't. They park the van outside the house, aim the aerial at the windows and pick up the e-m radiation from the CRT screen. I very much doubt it works with LCD/Plasma screens or projectors.

As for the GP post, it is indeed possible to get your tuning circuit removed or remove the aerial connection internally (get an electrician to do it) and then use the TV as a monitor. It's one of the few things the court will accept. To not pay the licence, you have to prove an inability to watch TV, either by not having a TV, or by having one that cannot pick up signals.

Simon.

Re:The Beeb

[FyRE666]

Sure I'm listening to their radio station, and watching their website - but so are thousands of other people in foreign countries (with things like the BBC World Service) who don't have to pay this tax.

So you're doing your own small part to make something valuable available to people all over the Earth - including third World countries who couldn't hope to run a news service of that standard. What's wrong with that?

Re:The Beeb

[joebutton]

> Having moved from the UK to Canada a few years
> back, let me just say that I yearn with nostalgic
> longing for the time when I could watch TV with
> five-minute ad breaks only every fifteen minutes.

The BBC doesn't have advert breaks (although other UK commercial stations do).

Re:The Beeb

[Tony Hoyle]

The EM comes from the tuner not the screen, so it works with plasmas and even VCRs.

OTOH as you say they have a list... no need for the technology just find everyone without a license and visit them every now and then to make sure they haven't got a TV.

Re:The Beeb

[dJCL]

How much is this license?

I'd be willing to pay money to the BBC for access to this and othe r content.

Heck, I'd be willing to pay a TV tax of some reasonable pittance just to replace our CBC up here with a much expanded and comercial reduced BBC Canada.

It's not like that's where CBC is getting it's news from anyway due to the strike...

JC

Re:The Beeb

[SimilarityEngine]

Here you go... it's 126.50 GBP per year, or you can pay monthly by direct debit (which works out a little cheaper).

Re:The Beeb

[Anonymous Coward]

including third World countries who couldn't hope to run a news service of that standard.

Like the US, for example?

Re:The Beeb

[scabb]

This is a little redundant, since obtaining a license is useless if you live in Canada. In fact, you're very much capable of watching BBC shows or TV in general without a license in the UK - although you face a lovely fine should you get caught.

Re:The Beeb

[blane.bramble]

do you honestly think they have the resources to do that? I think it works better if the residence has never had a license ... but they dont check everyone..

Yes they do. My parents have a holiday home in Scotland. It has no TV. It has never had a TV. There is no TV signal receivable (hillsides in the way). They still get "you are watching TV without a license" letters on occasion to the address. The database that is used is of ALL addresses that do not have a license against them - so not giving your address when buying a TV is pointless, your address is already in the database unless you have bought a TV license.

Re:The Beeb

[TheoGB]

Yes the post realises this: They lived in the UK. Their point was in reference to the ad breaks on UK commercial television (as raised by the parent poster's comments on Sky).

Hope that made sense as I can't remember people's names!

Re:The Beeb

[TheoGB]

when they go run out and buy one -- when they come back with the police you have a license

But...then you've just bought a licence. Err. Doesn't that make you officially a failure in the criminal world? Clearly you didn't spend seven years at Evil Medical School to come up with that, did you?

Re:The Beeb

[Angostura]

Apropos your final paragraph.

1. The World Service isn't funded from the license fee, it is funded directly from the Foreign Office.

2. Are you saying you would be happy to pay a radio tax? or are you saying that the BBC should cut off all its streaming services from overseas viewers?

Re:The Beeb

[speculatrix]

The TV tax (for that's what it is in the UK - you have to pay it whether you watch BBC or not) is UK£120, or US$200.

Interestingly, the European Union have been looking into the way various countries grant special rights to the national broadcaster, and the way they are funded, as it looks as if most (incl. the BBC) break EU rules on gov't subsidy/support and taxation rules. There's also a "television without frontiers" project, but like most EU initiatives it dodges the issues of the commercial TV companies operating a cartel to control pricing of high-value channels such as sports.

The bang the /. drum, yet again, globalisation seems to actually translate to screw the workers with outsource jobs or reduced salaries, combined with screwing the consumer by locking down regional sales (Sony's PSP springs to mind).

I note that slashdot editor didn't read the license page, it doesn't say anything about having a TV license to access this BBC archive.

Re:The Beeb

[isorox]

Despite this I have to pay the mandatory BBC-tax every year, just because I own a television.

No you dont. Detune your TV, unplug your aeriel, and you dont need to pay. You do need to pay if your watch Corronation Street.

Sure I'm listening to their radio station, and watching their website

You don't need a TV license for either of those things.

with things like the BBC World Service) who don't have to pay this tax.

The World Service (radio) is funded by the foreign office, not the TV license. World TV is funded by advertisers and is not available in the UK (theoretically).

Re:The Beeb

[stridebird]

And how much leaks out of the faraday cage of a case that most pcs are in?

It leaks out the same way the broadcast signal came in, my anonymous friend.

Of course, you can box your antenna in a faraday cage too, that'll work...but your reception may not be so crisp. Read some more of the www.tvlicensing.biz site you quoted to learn about that.

Re:The Beeb

[Midnight Thunder]

Hey, I don't mind if they stay on strike at the moment since at least we are getting BBC news instead. Much more international content, and not just that which is rating oriented.

We really need the CBC/Radio Canada to be sorted out - this needs to be a channel for the citizens, not for the advertisers.

UK residents only? Who cares.

[planetoid]

Yeah, like they can stop me from remixing the Dr. Who theme song with dogs barking.

Re:UK residents only? Who cares.

[ScrewMaster]

Bark-bark bark, bark-bark bark, bark-bark bark, BARK BARK BARK
Bark-bark bark, bark-bark bark, bark-bark bark, BARK BARK BARK

Damn, boy. I think you got a winner here.

Re:UK residents only? Who cares.

[planetoid]

But are they really going to experience a monetary, or some other kind of, loss if someone outside the UK uses BBC samples in a completely non-profit production? After all it strictly requires "No commercial use" anyway.

Re:From the agreement.

[endy64]

Well for a start it's "Cock-up" and secondly being a UK resident I don't think it's Unfortunate (rather the opposite for me) but then as a T.V. license payer I wouldn't object to other countries using the content under the same terms either so lets hope it gets extended :)

Re:UK residents only? Who cares.

[Anonymous Coward]

You can hardly call it open then.

i read through the website, and nowhere did it ever say it was "open". it says it's available under their licensing terms, which excludes you. so what's your bitch about?

I would even *pay* for access to BBC content if I could, but thats not even allowed either.

you don't have to pay to have a /. account but apparently you are incapable of signing up for one of those.

This is just as bad as normal copyrighted content in terms of lack of freedom.

boo-hoo! waaaahhhh! the content doesn't belong to you. you don't pay to support the BBC. and the BBC can do whatever the fuck they want. stop thinking you have this automatic right to everything. life's a bitch sometimes, i know, but get over it.

(and fyi, i'm not a UK citizen.)

Kosh would say...

[PlasticMetal]

irrelevant.
And Sinclair would add as far as 0.009376 of every human being vill care.

Proxies with UK servers?

[antdude]

Hmmph, I would love to download the ant video clip but I am not from U.K. I wonder if you can use an UK server as a proxy. Has anyone tried it? :)

Re:Screw the license restriction

[jleq]

You seem to lack a fundamental understanding of copyright law, or law in general. Just because you believe that you have a right to do something doesn't mean you have said right, especially if the law explicitly states that you do NOT. There is a certain amount of fair-use that applies to broadcasted content, but it is by no means public domain.

Dont like that? Then dont broadcast it.

I believe that all of the media corporations (and their lawyers) would strongly disagree with that statement. The laws at the moment also contradict you.

definitely not a free-as-in-speech license either

[planetoid]

4. No Endorsement and No derogatory use The Creative Archive content is provided to allow you to get creative with content, not for campaigning, soapboxing or to defame others! So don't use it to promote political, charitable, or other campaigning purposes and remember to treat others and their work in the way that you'd expect them to treat you and your work...with respect!

Re:Screw the license restriction

[DDiabolical]

You're the reason companies stop doing nice things.

licence - it's not a joke

[weighn]

For British residents, however, this is well worth the television license.

I thought that caper ended in the 70's, but a quick googling reveals that "Each household's colour TV licence cost £10.08 every month in 2004/2005".

Do they still have black vans driving around with tv-detector dishes sticking out the roof?

Re:licence - it's not a joke

[GrahamCox]

Do they still have black vans driving around with tv-detector dishes sticking out the roof?

Yes and no. There are still detector vans but the equipment has got a lot smaller, more sensitive and even portable. So the fact that a van is in the area is not as much of a giveaway as it once was. The vans are not run by the BBC, but a completely separate government agency.

Personally while I think the license fee approach is a good one - it really does seem to raise quality well above what the "free market" delivers, the enforcing of the payment by the licensing authority leaves a lot to be desired. They are possibly the most "big brother" like of all of the govt, with quite unpleasant tactics and attitude. It borders on the facistic.... they assume that everyone has a TV set, so you have to prove you DON'T have one in order for them to leave you alone. Ever tried to prove a negative? Also, they have automatic right of entry to your home without a warrant, though only to search for a TV set. They send you very strongly worded authoritarian and intimidating letters to make you pay, especially if you have no record of payment because you don't have a TV set.. the list goes on. A really pretty unpleasant bunch of people.

Re:licence - it's not a joke

[joebutton]

> So the fact that a van is in the area is not as
> much of a giveaway as it once was

Giveaway? Surely the primary point of the vans is to convey the impression that you're likely to get caught watching TV without a licence.

> they assume that everyone has a TV set, so you
> have to prove you DON'T have one in order for
> them to leave you alone.

They have to prove that you DO have one in order for them to prosecute you. They will tend to send intimidating letters though.

> Also, they have automatic right of entry to your
> home without a warrant

No they don't.

> They send you very strongly worded authoritarian
> and intimidating letters to make you pay,
> especially if you have no record of payment
> because you don't have a TV set

True, and quite irritating.

Re:licence - it's not a joke

[rjw57]

Also, they have automatic right of entry to your home without a warrant, though only to search for a TV set.

Quoting from the back of my TV license:

Our officers may ask to inspect your license and television equipment at any time, but you do not have to let them into your home without a search warrant.

Re:licence - it's not a joke

[logpoacher]

A work colleague rented a flat in London, and he had no TV set. After a little while, he received a standard "you have not paid for your TV licence" notification, which had a number of tick-boxes on the reply slip to allow you to say why you felt you were exempt....

And I do not have a TV set wasn't an option!

So he wrote in huge letters, in a big black marker pen:

HAVE NO TELLY!

and sent it back. He didn't hear from them again.

Fan Fiction fun :)

[davidwr]

Maybe Ford Prefect can fight off the Daleks and The Doctor can visit Milliways.

Re:Screw the license restriction

[GrahamCox]

I could care less about any 'restrictions

How much less could you care? We need to know!

Bean there done that...

[viva_fourier]

Finally, now those British Beaniacs can release their 8-year-in-the-making Mr. Bean tributes remixed to include *words*.

Re:UK residents only? Who cares.

[Seumas]

Silly Brits. Who do you think you are -- Americans?!

You can't just go around telling citizens in other nations what licenses and laws they must obey!

Re:From the agreement.

[Anonymous Coward]

I was just looking at the photo on your web site. Is that your real forehead, or did you have some sort of extension fitted?

I can tell that you're an American, because you've A) "found Jesus" and can't shut the fuck up about it, B) you're hideously foul, fat, stupid and ugly and yet can't stop drawing attention to yourself and C) you've only got one joke (British teeth) and you can't even make it sound funny.

You're from the bible belt - statistically you're far more likely to have dental issues than any British citizen. Is there a reason why you don't open your mouth in that foul photograph of yourself you so foolishly make available to the general public?

As happy as I am...

[frank_adrian314159]

As happy as I am with all of the interesting stuff the BBC is doing via the web, I really wish they hadn't had to kill their shortwave bradcasts to North America to do it. And though I can listen online when I'm around a computer and can even catch their broadcasts to other regions, I miss being able to hear them clearly almost any evening hour without shelling out for a satellite radio. I'd even trade all of the whizzy web crap for that.

Re:As happy as I am...

[cyborg_zx]

I for one would not object if the BBC had a licensing scheme for users outside of the UK to take advantage of the content (although technically it is the UK government, not the BBC, that controls TV licensing). Clearly the BBC is a well respected media organasation and there's no reason I cannot see that opening up subscription based content to users across the world couldn't generate extra revenue and shutup some of the nay-sayers who have it in for the BBC and public broadcasting.

Shame

[Namronorman]

It's really a shame you have to be a UK resident, I know the BBC has a lot of good material. I'm especially a fan of BBC America, it's quite nice to watch some of the classics on TV sometimes and get news that is sourced outside of the US.

It's kind of like getting a 2nd opinion when watching the World News on BBC

Realplayer?

[PromANJ]

It's a pity most of the video clips and audio clips on BBC (atleast the Doctor Who stuff) are in rm/ram format. Is there a VLC codec/plugin/gizmo for those formats yet? I installed realplayer a while ago (unfortunately), but now it 'expired' and I can't play/view anything with it.

Re:Realplayer?

[Tony Hoyle]

Try RealAlternative... all the rm goodness with none of to adware.

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternati ve.htm

Re:UK's IP law in other nations?

[mollymoo]

What a naive view of the world you have. There are of course international treaties which govern copyright and have been since the 19th century.

Wikipedia has a list

Re:I've known about this for a while now.

[chartreuse]

But which genes are involved when you post a comment to an unrelated story?

Re:UK's IP law in other nations?

[Lurks]

Uh, so what? If a remixer in the U.S. takes BBC content and uses it, WTF can the U.K. do?

This remarkably naive view point ignores the fact that the rights for BBC IP are assigned to BBC Worldwide incorporated in the US.

There wouldn't be any need to extradite you. Instead you could be sued in the good 'ol US of A. And the great thing about that? In the US they can afford better lawyers than you can.

Re:UK's IP law in other nations?

[vidarh]

Bzzzt. Wrong. I hope for your sake that nobody takes you seriously. Local law governs what is legally copyrighted, however to my knowledge no country has copyright laws where the origin of the product mattered.

Most countries you're ever likely to visit are additionally signatories to the Bern convention on copyright, which specifically requires these countries to mutually recognise and enforce eachothers copyrights.

As a result any work copyrighted in the US is equally protected in Europe and most other parts of the world and vice versa.

As a result, if someone in Sweden did the same thing, while the US government can't do a thing - which is about the only thing you got right -, the Swedish government could. And depending on what you'd do with the content you'd be liable for anything from damages to massive fines and possibly imprisonment.

And no, this is certainly not a contract issue, but a copyright issue. Depending on what you'd do with the copyrighted work, you might be lucky ad only be risk a civil trial or you may have a full fledged criminal case on your hands.

(IANAL, but it doesn't stop me from knowing more about law than the poster I just replied to...)

TV licensing: no warrant = no entry

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

TV licensing people in the UK do not have a right of entry to your home without a search warrant.

They are often accused of being overly aggressive in their approach, because they will make unannounced visits and then ask for entry anyway, which has been viewed as intimidatory by many residents. See here for an entertaining grilling by the House Select Committee on Public Accounts of some senior BBC staff about their approach to checking on people who don't pay the licence fee. (Note that these proceedings were back in 2002.)

Re:UK residents only? Who cares.

[mrRay720]

"The BBC has opened its Creative Archive"

I guess you don't understand the meaning of the word "opened". It doesn't mean "give aaway for free to any loser that wants it". It means giving those who have paid for it access to it.

Okay, tell me where to find all these archived Dr. Who episodes and other brit stuff I like to watch. For free.

You can't - and why the hell should you be able to? If you want to see it - pay like everyone else.

I never said I had a right to anything. The BBC is trying to present this effort as making their content "open" when its not. I never said the content belongs to me either (although I generally do not view something intangible as having an "owner").

So you want free access to something that isn't yours because of what? Your incessant whining? The BBC haven't presented this as making their stuff "open" in your twisted "give it to me for free OMG why won't you give it to me? Why do you hate freedom?" meaning of the word open. It means open to those who have paid for it, which is 100% reasonable. Well, reasonable to everyone who isn't a selfish moron who wants everyone else to pay in order to bring them free stuff on a silver platter.

Don't like it? Fuck off and make your own damn content.