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Kodi: Open source TV app inspires full-blown copyright panic in the UK

arstechnica.com

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Re: Kodi: Open source TV app inspires full-blown copyright panic in the UK

#21

Post by alistairSH »

phkahler wrote: post #18

>> Pubs are a favoured target of FACT. Subscriptions allowing them to screen live sports are expensive, making Kodi boxes attractive. Is this the situation in the US too? I wonder why pubs have shitty cableTV with downgraded picture when they could just get an antenna and have awesome HD. Is it not OK to publicly show that which is broadcast? That seems absurd.

Broadcast TV only gets you local sports, or maybe some national-interest stuff (in the US). Cable is required to watch teams from other markets.

Ex. In DC, I'll get the NFL's Redskins on broadcast, plus maybe the Dallas Cowboys and 1-2 others of national interest. If I want to watch the Buffalo Bills every weekend (even when they aren't playing Dallas), I need cable.

Re: Kodi: Open source TV app inspires full-blown copyright panic in the UK

#22

Post by maccard »

kodithrow wrote: post #2

I watch pirated TV using Kodi on my Amazon Fire TV in the USA. There are some free Kodi add-ons for on-demand TV (i.e., free Netflix clones), but I use Kodi as a replacement for live sports. For $13/month, I get hundreds of live channels. AMA.

Curious why you pay for it? If you're openly admitting to pirating it, why not just pirate it for free? it's not like the licence owners are getting any of your $13/month.

Re: Kodi: Open source TV app inspires full-blown copyright panic in the UK

#23

Post by lmm »

JamesBaxter wrote: post #3

The state of legal TV and film content in the UK is abysmal. I think it's really important that we consider that just because there's no legal way for me to watch say "The Americans" season 5 legally in the UK[0], I'm not entitled to pirate it. That is the content distributors mistake. Saying that me downloading it doesn't hurt them doesn't track either because I'll be seeding a file to others who might have legal al…

> I think it's really important that we consider that just because there's no legal way for me to watch say "The Americans" season 5 legally in the UK[0], I'm not entitled to pirate it. That is the content distributors mistake.

Eh. I'm willing to support creators to a certain extent, but if they don't want my money they're welcome to not have it.

> Saying that me downloading it doesn't hurt them doesn't track either because I'll be seeding a file to others who might have legal alternatives.

You can seed to exactly 1.0 so that your presence makes no difference one way or another if this is what bothers you.

> I've had to adjust how important watching stuff can be to me. Is it really that important that I get to watch some TV? Worth breaking the law for?

Everyone has their lines in the sand. The law counts for something, particularly when passed democratically, but it's not everything, particularly when imposed via backroom international treaties.

Re: Kodi: Open source TV app inspires full-blown copyright panic in the UK

#24

Post by moopling »

phkahler wrote: post #19
kybernetikos wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'll be seeding a file to others who might have legal alternatives It doesn't seem fair to me to make the seeder responsible for the illegal usage of the leacher. If it's legal for some people to connect to a torrent, then any crime committed by someone who connects and downloads something they are not allowed to download should be on them, not on the seeder. The alternative is to insist that the seeder is responsi…

The seeder is the one distributing the content, thereby violating the copyright. Viewing is not illegal, making the copy is.

the kodi addons I've seen tend to connect to websites which host the content and display ads. Given that these don't involve seeding does that mean that the viewers aren't violating copyright, only the hosts?

Re: Kodi: Open source TV app inspires full-blown copyright panic in the UK

#25

Post by kobeya »

hunta2097 wrote: post #17

These stories are incredibly incendiary, fueled by Murdoch's News UK Group. Whilst I think you would be an idiot to run unknown software on your home network (even if it means you get free TV) there have been no prosecutions against individual users yet. Sky's sport and movie subscriber base are obviously taking a hit from people moving to pirated content. That is why you are seeing hyperbolic stories about 10 years…

"Run unknown software"? Kodi is open source and community written.

Re: Kodi: Open source TV app inspires full-blown copyright panic in the UK

#26

Post by bumblebeard »

phkahler wrote: post #18

>> Pubs are a favoured target of FACT. Subscriptions allowing them to screen live sports are expensive, making Kodi boxes attractive. Is this the situation in the US too? I wonder why pubs have shitty cableTV with downgraded picture when they could just get an antenna and have awesome HD. Is it not OK to publicly show that which is broadcast? That seems absurd.

It looks pretty cheap in the US actually, not much more than home cable. For example, here's what Comcast offers bars and restaurants:

https://business.comcast.com/tv/restaurants

Re: Kodi: Open source TV app inspires full-blown copyright panic in the UK

#27

Post by hunta2097 »

kobeya wrote: post #25
hunta2097 wrote: post #17

These stories are incredibly incendiary, fueled by Murdoch's News UK Group. Whilst I think you would be an idiot to run unknown software on your home network (even if it means you get free TV) there have been no prosecutions against individual users yet. Sky's sport and movie subscriber base are obviously taking a hit from people moving to pirated content. That is why you are seeing hyperbolic stories about 10 years…

"Run unknown software"? Kodi is open source and community written.

Yes.

What about the plethora of "pre-loaded" scripts that are installed in order to gain access to illegal content?

I'm not talking about Kodi. Kodi is awesome.

Re: Kodi: Open source TV app inspires full-blown copyright panic in the UK

#28

Post by ParkerK »

hunta2097 wrote: post #17

These stories are incredibly incendiary, fueled by Murdoch's News UK Group. Whilst I think you would be an idiot to run unknown software on your home network (even if it means you get free TV) there have been no prosecutions against individual users yet. Sky's sport and movie subscriber base are obviously taking a hit from people moving to pirated content. That is why you are seeing hyperbolic stories about 10 years…

>Whilst I think you would be an idiot to run unknown software on your home network

Kodi is very well known and respected, it's the new/rebranded version of XBMC (XBox Media Center) - it's been around for quite some time

Re: Kodi: Open source TV app inspires full-blown copyright panic in the UK

#29

Post by bumblebeard »

moopling wrote: post #24
phkahler wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The seeder is the one distributing the content, thereby violating the copyright. Viewing is not illegal, making the copy is.

the kodi addons I've seen tend to connect to websites which host the content and display ads. Given that these don't involve seeding does that mean that the viewers aren't violating copyright, only the hosts?

That's my understanding of how the law works in the US. In the UK though it sounds like you're breaking the law if you watch the stream as well.

Re: Kodi: Open source TV app inspires full-blown copyright panic in the UK

#30

Post by ekimekim »

kobeya wrote: post #25
hunta2097 wrote: post #17

These stories are incredibly incendiary, fueled by Murdoch's News UK Group. Whilst I think you would be an idiot to run unknown software on your home network (even if it means you get free TV) there have been no prosecutions against individual users yet. Sky's sport and movie subscriber base are obviously taking a hit from people moving to pirated content. That is why you are seeing hyperbolic stories about 10 years…

"Run unknown software"? Kodi is open source and community written.

I think they were referring to the 3rd party add-ons that provide unlicenced sources. Granted, those add-ons are likely open-source too, so it's a matter of doing your homework or having a source or curator that you trust.
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