The Evening Standard newspaper reported today that TV Licensing was going to fine those that receive broadband coverage of the World Cup. I've contacted TV Licensing to see if they will confirm or deny this?
I personally do not own any TV equipment, however I do have a PC with broadband. I was planning to watch the FIFA World Cup via the BBC web-site and therefore need to have this point clear so that I am not liable to any fine.
I have carefully checked the TV Licensing web-site along with the BBC sports and news web-sites and can find no written requirement for a TV License in order to use the broadband video coverage of the World Cup or any other broadcast.
I feel it would be very unfair to fine me or anyone else without some notice of the requirement to own a TV License for broadband broadcasts. I can only assume that The Evening Standard reported this incorrectly.
The Evening Standard stated that fines of £1000 would be brought against companies that allowed their staff to watch the broadband broadcasts. If true then this would mean that many offices will be effected, perhaps including the place where I work.
However, without the written requirement appearing somewhere other than in a newspaper report I can't see how any fine by TV Licensing would stand up in court.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5074406.stm
This looks to have more info, I’m sure for most poeple the fact that you have a TV Licence @ home should cover you as how would mobile TVs work if it was address related…
Comment by andy — 2006-06-13 @ 9:29
Just to let you know. The place where you work does indeed have a TV licence so no problems there.
Comment by Jim — 2006-06-13 @ 11:38
TV Licensing have responded to my enquiry with the message at the end of this post. This raises a very important question.
TV Licensing state, "If your computer is capable of receiving live broadcasts, whether on-line, or through an aerial or satellite dish, then it is classed as television receiving equipment. This means a licence is needed to receive BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, digital television, other terrestrial services, satellite television and cable television." Which means every member of the British public that owns a computer with online access or Office that uses computers connected to the internet requires a TV License.
Does a computer with on-line access to "television broadcasts" (without "a television card for a computer") require a TV License?
—
The first message from TV Licensing:
TV LICENSING
BRISTOL
BS98 1TL
Tel: 0870 243 0229
Fax: 0870 240 1187
E-Mail: tvlcsc@capita.co.uk
Our Ref: TVL88192
15/06/2006
Dear Mr Savage,
A television licence is required if you use television receiving equipment to record and/or receive television programme services. Television receiving equipment could be a television, video recorder, DVD recorder/player, PCTV (computer with facility to receive television programmes), or a television card for a computer. If your computer is capable of receiving live broadcasts, whether on-line, or through an aerial or satellite dish, then it is classed as television receiving equipment. This means a licence is needed to receive BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, digital television, other terrestrial services, satellite television and cable television.
If you receive programme services (as defined above), live via the Internet, BBC Online for example), then a television licence is required. If you are using the Internet to browse archived programme services websites, then a television licence is not required.
I hope this information is helpful.
Yours sincerely
Michael Williams
TV Licensing
Comment by savaged — 2006-06-15 @ 9:46
It seems clear that if you are viewing archived programs you are fine. You do however require a licence if you are watching live broadcasts via the internet.
Comment by andy — 2006-06-15 @ 12:47
Surely every PC is capable of receiving live broadcasts if the BBC digitise it and put in online? So now everyone with a PC needs a TV license? Errr … no … but nice try by the Beeb. I suppose Jonathan Ross’s £18 million salary needs to be paid for somehow.
Comment by Matt — 2006-06-16 @ 11:27
I have a strong suspicion that the claims by TV Licensing are rather more than the law states. Their web site (http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/) only mentions PCs with a broadcast card as requiring a licence (which seems fair enough). Home licences clearly only cover equipment elsewhere that is powered by internal batteries. That would include laptops with broadcast card.
The Communications Act http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2003/20030021.htm passes the definition of television receiver to the Secretary of State. If the SoS decided to include the ability to receive internet broadcasts, as any new PC can, then it is a legal requirement for the PC vendor to notify name and address information to TV Licensing. Which they don’t do, and I suspect TV Licensing don’t want. Out-Law http://www.out-law.com/page-6993 comes to the conclusion that PCs are TVs. Not yet tested in court, I think.
The other question is whether the Internet service can be defined as a “television programme service” or not. Clearly the BBC can decide to publish content which is not a television programme service – such as photos, magazines, their main web site. I would incline to the view that an internet multimedia transmission falls outside the “television programme service” definition.
Comment by Andrew Yeomans — 2006-06-16 @ 12:49
Their response:
TV LICENSING
BRISTOL
BS98 1TL
Tel: 0870 243 0229
Fax: 0870 240 1187
E-Mail: tvlcsc@capita.co.uk
Our Ref: TVL94049
17/06/2006
Dear Mr Savage,
You only need a television licence if you watch ?live? programmes online.
Yours sincerely
Michael Williams
TV Licensing
Comment by savaged — 2006-06-17 @ 20:46
As a recent article on Bloomberg by Matthew Lynn highlights, a TV tax on high end electronic devices able to capture TV programming, is nothing else than a sure way to push Europe further back in technological development.
Great quote from the article: “TV taxes look about as sensible as the levies the U.K.
government used to impose on windows in the 17th and 18th centuries. Not surprisingly, the British responded by bricking up their windows. Now people may respond by getting rid of some
high-tech devices. What good will that do?”
Comment by Maurizio — 2006-07-31 @ 6:46
So…..If I live in the USA and watch the live streaming feed, does Aunty Beeb thinks I’m going to cough up a licence fee…..
Consistency, we’ve heard about it….8-)
Comment by Ev's the Lens — 2006-08-24 @ 20:09
Best way to avoid any legal hassle is to use an American Proxy server to watch online content through, this way it is not illegal.
Comment by John Matthews — 2007-04-4 @ 11:10
T.V.licencing does not cater for the P.C.user and thats their problem.Example:I’m in my neighbours house watching live BBC online,wirelessly routed from my household.Which home requires the licence?This is just a starter,I won’t bother to spin my brain around the myriad confusion of all the possibilities with portable devices (which are not receiving signals incidentally)and worldwide web.
Comment by taranus — 2008-12-19 @ 22:50
what about wirelessly in others abodes?
Comment by taranus — 2008-12-20 @ 10:45
I noticed recently that I could no longer access BBC7 listen again when I was in Paris. Some message about copyright. Haven’t had time to follow up yet. I could avoid this with a proxy gotomypc via my UK machine :^)
Comment by jukebox — 2009-01-7 @ 14:52
You only need a TV License if you use your computer to receive LIVE broadcasts, with a TV card etc. Same with any other piece of equipment like a mobile phone. If the BBC choose to publish older programmes on the internet, that is not something you have to pay for, even if it’s only one hour later than the broadcast version! The TV Licensing Authority are deliberately vague about this, because it earns them money if people think they have to pay just to have an internet connection, and it’s simply NOT true. I’ve heard of many vunerable people being forced to pay (which is illegal, it’s called attempting to obtain money by deception).
If anyone would like further help with TV Licensing… I have a group on Facebook which is PURELY designed to tackle the legal issues associated with them and their cowboy tactics:
http://www.facebook.com/friends/?ref=tn#/group.php?gid=56249907186
Comment by Cat — 2009-04-9 @ 10:12