ISPs won’t shop illegal Web TV use
From next week, the BBC will commence streaming live web TV coverage of BBC 1 and BBC 2. Technically, those who access the live video streaming will have to be in possession of a TV licence, even if they do not own a television set. However, web TV specialists Streaming Tank are predicting that the Beeb will struggle to enforce this due to a lack of co-operation from ISPs.
Already, two of the U.K’s largest ISPs have made statements alluding to the fact that they will fail to co-operate with this licensing requirement, due to issues of confidentiality and data protection. In an interview with Sky News, a spokesperson for Tiscali said:
“We'd be being asked to release data on people who have done nothing wrong. I think it would be deemed legally and morally unacceptable to go down that route.”
A spokesperson for BT also commented: “The only instance in which we currently release customer IP details is if we are obliged to do so by law enforcement agencies or a court.”
The BBC would clearly find it difficult to prosecute those who were watching web TV illegally. This is because of the difficulties involved with attaining evidence, due to the sheer volume of data they would need to attain.
According to the TV Licensing authority: "With the scale of the information they would be asking for, I don't think legally it would be considered acceptable."
For this reason, the precedents set by illegal activity, such as cases involving illegally downloaded music would not apply.
The BBC, however, appear to be unconcerned by these reports, and do not see web TV as a threat to the payment of license fees. A spokesperson had this to say: "Technology is a long way from undermining the licence fee as a funding mechanism."James Wilkinson of live video streaming specialists Streaming Tank commented on the reports by saying:
“This move by the BBC further illustrates the huge role that web TV has to play in the broadcast world. However, the licensing issue illustrates that people will not be throwing away their TVs just yet.”
“For the time being at least, web TV will compliment, not replace the existing system of terrestrial television broadcasting.”
