TV Execs Threatening To Sue TiVo
from the now-it-makes-sense dept
Yesterday we pointed to the news about TiVo's latest "ToGo" offering, and pointed out that the announcement seemed to focus a bit too much on the added copy protection to make all this work. Of course, now it's becoming clear why they did so. They didn't clear this with the TV execs first. Greg Andrew writes in to point out that the TV execs don't seem to think the new TiVo offering is "crippled enough." If you remember a year ago when TiVo first wanted to introduce the ToGo feature, they actually had to go to the FCC and plead their case against the TV execs and ask for "permission" to innovate and add this feature that customers were clamoring for. Think about what that means for innovation -- if every new innovation meant you had to go to the government and ask for permission from all industries impacted. The automakers would have had to go before the government and ask them for permission to make cars, as it could impact the buggy makers. Television would have needed to be approved by movie execs because it might impact the movie business. The list could go on and on. However, it looks like TiVo didn't ask for "permission" first in this case -- and now they might get sued. It's worth noting that some TV execs don't seem quite that upset by this, which is a good sign. At least a few are seeing the light.
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Flawed analogy
You may disagree with IP, but those are the rules in place right now that everyone has to play by.
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Re: Flawed analogy
Car wheels where based on buggie wheels. Did the buggie companies get a cut from the car makers for every wheel that was derived from their IP? No, but if it was happening today the'd sue for it.
I'm no buggie/car expert, but I'd bet there was lots of Buggie IP that was used in the first cars without permission.
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Re: Flawed analogy
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Re: Flawed analogy
The question is, as it usually is, one of fair use. Despite the idiocy of downloading an hour long show onto a 3 inch screen in order to stare at your palm, we should be free to watch whatever we record in whatever fashion we deem desirable.
P.S. I'm pretty sure that when the buggy manufacturers decided to use wheels instead of say, triangles, there was plenty of prior art. I would bet that goes for just about every component on it.
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Re: Flawed analogy
Best. Comment. Today.
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Re: Flawed analogy
>Best. Comment. Today.
Actually, that was mine (Mike S., not to be confused with TD's Mike). And thank you!!
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Re: Flawed analogy
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Re: Flawed analogy
That said, Mike is right here: recording to TiVo is just about as fair use as one can get with electronic media. No different in essence from VHS or cassette tapes.
Now, were you to go about redistributing your TiVo recorded media, well, we're right back to square one.
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Re: Flawed analogy
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Re: Flawed analogy
And Tivo is not asking "permission to innovate" - they're repackaging/republishing copyright-protected works, and it's different.
If I were to drive the streets of my city in a truck selling Sears products, I'd probably have to get their permission to do so, and I wouldn't be able to spin it as "Sears is infringing my right to innovate" either.
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Re: Flawed analogy
the fact that they're in place does NOT mean that everyone has to play - it means that people need to exercise their god given rights to have them changed to integrate better with our times.
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give me a break!
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Re: give me a break!
Yes.
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Re: give me a break!
I am still sick of the hype and assumptions that anyone who "digitally" records a copyright protected.....ANYTHING, that they are going to break the law and or profit from it.
Because I record a show on my DVR, makes it no different than if I recorded it on my VCR. Both COULD be digitized and passed along.
Damn Napster caused it all LOL
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Re: give me a break!
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One More Thought
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Can I sue the MPAA and/or networks
So, if the RIAA, MPAA, and networks try to force companies to limit technology, aren't they taking away my RIGHT to fair use of their content? Can I sue them for taking away MY RIGHTS? Aren't might rights of fair use equal to their right to protection from infringement?
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No Subject Given
Downloading music you have not paid to license is illegal. That does not make it ‘wrong”
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