As far as i know the "you have to pay only once" only applies for pure private use. If you're running a small business, you have to pay extra for the computer in your office and the car, if the car's running on the business.
No. The definition of being "capable to receive" still applies if the computer is not even connected to the net, because it would be "not a great effort" to connect it. The fee even applies for mobile phones, because modern mobile phones have a builtin browser.
Bingo! You could easily add a modem/network device/USB-ADSL converter to any computer. So you have to pay for any kind of computers (and in the near future for UMTS-phones).
I'm afraid, that wouldn't help much. I could imaginge, there's a "real player" for Solaris, too. And they are broadcasting their programmes as "real audio", too.
Sure they could! And that's one of the things why this subject is so controversely discussed. At "heise" (german/. equivalent) the forum on this subject has more than 2000 entries up to now.
Technically it would be no problem to protect the streams from the access of the non-payers.
Yes you're right. But consider two things: First the conference of the prime ministers of the states decided to raise the fee by 0,88 EUR. Second, the fee would mostly affect companies and small businesses.
In Germany you have to! Because the VCR normally has a builtin tuner you COULD use for watching the public broadcasters. Only the theoretical possibility counts, not what youre really doing. And this scheme now shall be transfered to computers and internet: A PC theoretically might be connected to the net. Video/Audio-Streams are broadcasted into the net. So every PC might theoretically to be used for watching, so you have to pay for merely owning a PC.
Imagine, they would offer the radio programme on phone (0800-LISTENRADIO or something similar), then you would be charged for owning a phone!
You're right in assuming, that it won't affect many private households. But think about the millions of PCs in companies, schools, small businesses, public libraries, internet cafes and so on: The fee must be paid (and whether the PC is connected to the net or not, isn't important).
But they could lay some kind of protection upon the streams (password or kind of DRM). So they would not have to charge for them from ALL possible viewers.
Things were completely different, when the system of broadcasting fees was established in midth of 20th century!
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As far as i know the "you have to pay only once" only applies for pure private use. If you're running a small business, you have to pay extra for the computer in your office and the car, if the car's running on the business.
No. The definition of being "capable to receive" still applies if the computer is not even connected to the net, because it would be "not a great effort" to connect it. The fee even applies for mobile phones, because modern mobile phones have a builtin browser.
Bingo! You could easily add a modem/network device/USB-ADSL converter to any computer. So you have to pay for any kind of computers (and in the near future for UMTS-phones).
As far as I understood this wouldn't help, because it would be easy to re-connect to the net (e.g. via some ASDL-to-USB device).
I'm afraid, that wouldn't help much. I could imaginge, there's a "real player" for Solaris, too. And they are broadcasting their programmes as "real audio", too.
Sure they could! And that's one of the things why this subject is so controversely discussed. At "heise" (german /. equivalent) the forum on this subject has more than 2000 entries up to now.
Technically it would be no problem to protect the streams from the access of the non-payers.
Yes you're right. But consider two things: First the conference of the prime ministers of the states decided to raise the fee by 0,88 EUR. Second, the fee would mostly affect companies and small businesses.
In Germany you have to! Because the VCR normally has a builtin tuner you COULD use for watching the public broadcasters. Only the theoretical possibility counts, not what youre really doing. And this scheme now shall be transfered to computers and internet: A PC theoretically might be connected to the net. Video/Audio-Streams are broadcasted into the net. So every PC might theoretically to be used for watching, so you have to pay for merely owning a PC. Imagine, they would offer the radio programme on phone (0800-LISTENRADIO or something similar), then you would be charged for owning a phone!
You're right in assuming, that it won't affect many private households. But think about the millions of PCs in companies, schools, small businesses, public libraries, internet cafes and so on: The fee must be paid (and whether the PC is connected to the net or not, isn't important).
But they could lay some kind of protection upon the streams (password or kind of DRM). So they would not have to charge for them from ALL possible viewers. Things were completely different, when the system of broadcasting fees was established in midth of 20th century!