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Fox Subpoenas YouTube Over Content
popo writes "FOX has subpoenaed YouTube for the identity of a user who posted entire episodes of '24' and 'The Simpson's'. It is not yet known whether YouTube has complied with the request. The '24' episodes in question actually appeared on YouTube prior to their primetime January 14 premiere on the Fox broadcast network, which spread four hourlong episodes of the hit drama over two consecutive nights. Fox became aware the episodes were on YouTube on January 8, according to the subpoena."
Simpsons. Simpsons.
Inside job?
Often times, an episode or pilot will be sent out on dvd to be distributed to potential clients. These are presented as general sales tools and sometimes carry little restriction. ie, copy and burn to distribute to those you deem necessary. While the episode may not contain all of computer graphics of the final show... it can very much be the whole thing.
I'm surprised it actually took this long for someone to do this. However, it wouldn't have to be an employee of a Fox affiliate and could just be some random soul who was given a copy for preview.
These things have always been a bit sloppy in my opinion and it will be interesting to see if they tighten up on these internal releases.
"You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
This is about an inside job since that's the only way those files would have made it to YouTube.
You don't have to be an insider to pull this stunt--you only need equipment that is no longer commonly available. TV programming is sent from network HQ to affiliate stations electronically via satellite, sometimes hours to several days before scheduled broadcast. You do not need to be an employee of either the station or the network to receive a satellite signal. I used to regularly watch episodes of Star Trek DS9 up to three days before they aired on "real" TV.
Wild feeds, or "occasional video transponders" are still commonly sent in unencrypted form so anyone can get them. However nobody knows when they are broadcasting or what the content is unless you are an employee. Sometimes if you watch the feeds you can pick out a pattern that seems like a regular schedule, but sometimes it shifts around. Also, episodes may be broadcast in wild feeds out of sequence. Furthermore, they are not broadcast in the same way as the most commonplace digital satellite systems--they are typically analogue and in a different frequency band--in the US they are on C band satellites. Most people who want satellite TV want the little dish hanging off the eaves, not a ten-foot C-band dish that obscures half of your yard (and you'd have to be in a rural setting for it to even be permitted). Wild feeds in Canada are commonly in Ku band as well, which permits a slightly smaller dish but still not appealing to anyone but enthusiasts.
Fox has a larger hunt on their hands and it IS a typical copyright violation case. Hence, the subpoena of Google/YouTube.
Stupid of broadcasters to still broadcast in the clear like that, but there is some technological inertia in every industry...
The full DVD of the first four episodes was ALL OVER Usenet on the 7th.
Thousands of people DLed that, and one guy encoded it for submission to YouTube.
No insider job here.
FYI, it has also been reported that this episode appeared on Bit Torrent prior to it's appearance on YouTube. Odds are this guy was just a moron / 3rd rate P2P pirate. Hassling him probably won't highlight the source of the leak.
"Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
Often times, yes. But, I don't get the impression this is one of them.
The show '24' is hardly being shopped around at this point for potential clients -- every single Fox affiliate is playing it now. It's exceedingly well known at this point.
And, TFA indicates these were the 'entire' episodes. This sounds much more like the full, ready to air, version of the episodes were released before there were aired. I can't imagine that these weren't copies intended for use by the networks for broadcast.
Cheers
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
The big networks don't always use an encrypted feed when they're sending the shows (over satellite) to the affiliate stations.
Anyone with a big dish can point it at the satellite and grab the episodes.
There's a lot of free/random stuff floating around on satellite TV if you point your dish around.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
why? forty-two.
search for "Free to air" or "FTA" satellite. That will get you the equipment you need for the unencrypted digital feeds. However, for the unencrypted analog feeds, search for "C-Band/Ku-Band TVRO".
C-Band TVRO requires one of those Big Ugly Dishes, so you may have a problem there.
Lyngsat.com gives you a list of transponders per satellite and what's on them. The ones marked "feeds" are the ones used to transmit programs to affiliates or backhaul remote news/sports trucks back to the studios. The feeds are raw, so you'll probably catch some reporter scratching his ass or picking his nose.