Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games • Hacker News Board

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#181

Post by ryan_j_naughton » Thu, Jun 13, 2019, 2:25 AM UTC

kelnos wrote: post #119

This has the same solution as any other story around copyright infringement. If you provide people with easy, convenient, legal methods to consume the content in a way that works for them, for a price they find reasonable, then they overwhelmingly won't resort to illegal means. I'm not saying these bars are correct to resort to illegal streaming, but a wise businessperson would see this as a signal that their product…

>If you provide people with easy, convenient, legal methods to consume the content in a way that works for them, for a price they find reasonable, then they overwhelmingly won't resort to illegal means.

I think the problem with your statement is "for a price they find reasonable." Because the price some find reasonable is much lower than others (the very reason why demand curves are downward sloping is they there are different willingness to pay for different customers).

Since La Liga can't price discriminate easily and charge those with higher willingness to pay more AND since they have a monopoly over these games, the rational economic decision of the league is to keep the prices at a higher price, which while unfortunately resulting in fewer people having access, it also means more profit for them.

Thus, I don't think it is as simple as you are making it appear.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#182

Post by lostmymind66 » Thu, Jun 13, 2019, 2:28 AM UTC

kelnos wrote: post #119

This has the same solution as any other story around copyright infringement. If you provide people with easy, convenient, legal methods to consume the content in a way that works for them, for a price they find reasonable, then they overwhelmingly won't resort to illegal means. I'm not saying these bars are correct to resort to illegal streaming, but a wise businessperson would see this as a signal that their product…

"If you provide people with easy, convenient, legal methods to consume the content in a way that works for them, for a price they find reasonable, then they overwhelmingly won't resort to illegal means."

I disagree. Music is cheaper and easier to buy than ever with things like iTunes and the various streaming services and music piracy is still rampant.

Bars have very slim margins and owners will most likely never pay for these these streams, regardless of price, if they can easily get away with it.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#183

Post by ddingus » Thu, Jun 13, 2019, 2:47 AM UTC

ryan_j_naughton wrote: post #181

kelnos wrote: post #119

This has the same solution as any other story around copyright infringement. If you provide people with easy, convenient, legal methods to consume the content in a way that works for them, for a price they find reasonable, then they overwhelmingly won't resort to illegal means. I'm not saying these bars are correct to resort to illegal streaming, but a wise businessperson would see this as a signal that their product…

>If you provide people with easy, convenient, legal methods to consume the content in a way that works for them, for a price they find reasonable, then they overwhelmingly won't resort to illegal means. I think the problem with your statement is "for a price they find reasonable." Because the price some find reasonable is much lower than others (the very reason why demand curves are downward sloping is they there are…

If they are making more money, what exactly is the worry?

One of their real worries just might be having greater success resulting in an actual decline in access.

Something else can enter that vacuum pretty damn easy.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#184

Post by thatoneuser » Thu, Jun 13, 2019, 2:48 AM UTC

giobox wrote: post #178

thatoneuser wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds like something that works in theory but not at all in the real world.

The full description sounds like a normal digital camera to be honest, almost as if someone has gone to great verbal lengths to disguise the fact it is simply a camera: "The optical detector in the detector van uses a large lens to collect that light and focus it on to an especially sensitive device, which converts fluctuating light signals into electrical signals, which can be electronically analysed." For many year…

TV licensing authority? That sounds unnecessarily dystopian.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#185

Post by stornetn » Thu, Jun 13, 2019, 2:50 AM UTC

kelnos wrote: post #119

This has the same solution as any other story around copyright infringement. If you provide people with easy, convenient, legal methods to consume the content in a way that works for them, for a price they find reasonable, then they overwhelmingly won't resort to illegal means. I'm not saying these bars are correct to resort to illegal streaming, but a wise businessperson would see this as a signal that their product…

> a wise businessperson would see this as a signal that their product offering doesn't actually match demand, and work to fill that demand

This is not necessarily true. It depends entirely on the shape of demand. By way of simplified example, imagine that there are two types of consumers equally distributed: those willing to pay $1000 and those willing to pay $100. Unless you can distinguish at time of payment between these users and charge them different prices (without possibility of resale), you will always be better off forgoing half of the market and charging only the higher price.

It's possible that the business has estimated things incorrectly and is acting suboptimally, but I think it's as least as likely that they are maximizing profits the way we'd expect a rational business operator to do.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#186

Post by Scoundreller » Thu, Jun 13, 2019, 2:52 AM UTC

duxup wrote: post #36

I'd like to see physical switches on all electronics that CUT POWER to cameras and mics and have a clear indicator when they are active or not. I don't know that people would use them, but I'd like to have the option.

Easier said than done. On circuits that use small enough amounts of power, they can run parasitically from the power through pullup resistors on I/O lines. I've seen microcontrollers continue to work fine after lifting their power pin.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#187

Post by Scoundreller » Thu, Jun 13, 2019, 2:56 AM UTC

zwaps wrote: post #76

acd wrote: post #63

In certain EU countries that could be A) Illegal wiretapping B) GDPR violation If they happen to record other private information such as what political party one likes, or religion one likes they would be even more in legal trouble. And also recording anything about sexual life which could happen in a bar conversation say between friends.

It is a violation, for both a) and b). They got into trouble. They didn't pay a lot of money for that, though.

They might have lost a lot of legal cases if their basis was illegally gained evidence.

But I have no idea how Spanish civil law works.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#188

Post by Scoundreller » Thu, Jun 13, 2019, 2:57 AM UTC

anthk wrote: post #169

throwaway2048 wrote: post #4

This will lead to an arms race with deploying cellular, GPS and wifi jammers. You can order them online right now for low prices, at low power they are very unlikely to ever be investigated. https://www.jammer-store.com/gps-blockers-jammers/ Do note things like this are HIGHLY illegal, and carry pretty insane fines if you are caught.

That's how you get an empty bar in Spain. We love to drink moderately and socialize, but FFS, the young people loves to use either WhatsAPP or talk with their relatives just in case. Also on the insane fines, these can be huge in Spain. Do not ever fuck communications there.

> Do not ever fuck communications there.

Any particular cases we should look into? I figure not a lot of what goes on in Spain makes it into the English-language press.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#189

Post by duxup » Thu, Jun 13, 2019, 2:58 AM UTC

Scoundreller wrote: post #186

duxup wrote: post #36

I'd like to see physical switches on all electronics that CUT POWER to cameras and mics and have a clear indicator when they are active or not. I don't know that people would use them, but I'd like to have the option.

Easier said than done. On circuits that use small enough amounts of power, they can run parasitically from the power through pullup resistors on I/O lines. I've seen microcontrollers continue to work fine after lifting their power pin.

It would take a deliberate design effort for sure.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#190

Post by jlaurend » Thu, Jun 13, 2019, 2:59 AM UTC

egd wrote: post #130

Someone I met tried to figure out how to actually legally stream the NBA playoffs recently - apparently there's basically no way to do so without an existing cable subscription or without paying for the entire season. I'm guessing the licensing structure around all of that would make the US tax code look readable, but the result is that it's effectively impossible to decide you want to watch a specific game on a comp…

I was frustrated with this exact issue for years until I bought a TV antenna a few years ago. Super Bowl, NBA Finals, etc are all on there, for free, in HD. No lag or interruptions either. It's also nice to just flip through the channels every now and then.