Great Britain: Internet users could be banned over illegal downloads

Thanks for the link, Stoat. very informative stuff you’ve got there.

A license to OWN and watch TV.....a bunch of sheep these Brits. Just imagine (well, I can’t) if they won the Revolutionary War: we’d be getting licenses right now just to watch the Super Bowl on my 50 inch HD.

The way it's presented in the article reminds me just a little bit of the various excuses and rationales that I occasionally hear from abortionists and certain genetic scientists who, when asked about whether they think what they do is right or wrong they reply that it's not their job to concern themselves with such things; that's the job of lawmakers and legislators....essentially the "we don't care because we don't have to" defense.

Essentially the Soviet position. If the government wants something you have to do it regardless of any moral framework you have, because if the government wants it, it must be right, right?

I get pissed when private companies have some kind of industrial accident and disclaim responsibility because their procedures met minimum government regs. Do they really want to take the position that government bureaucrats are better qualified than people who work in the industry to know the best way to deal with hazards??? I don't want excessive regulation by people who have never done it (and are often selected from the enemies of the industry) but by the same token, you can't have it both ways.

Thanks for the link, Stoat. very informative stuff you’ve got there.

You're quite welcome and I'm delighted if you've found it interesting :-)

A license to OWN and watch TV.....a bunch of sheep these Brits. Just imagine (well, I can’t) if they won the Revolutionary War: we’d be getting licenses right now just to watch the Super Bowl on my 50 inch HD.

Apparently, according to the TV licensing site, you also have to have a special license if you want to sell a TV, even a used one.

Looking at the TV licensing requirements reminds me of the hoops that you need to jump through in order to buy a firearm here in the USA, and the record-keeping requirements appear to be similarly detailed.

The Brits have been under the 'watchful eye' of the TV Detection vans since 1938 so it seems they're quite accustomed to living under what we Yanks would consider to be an astonishing and completely unacceptable level of intrusiveness

Tvdetect2_2

BBC Technology To Find Insurgents Danger Room from Wired.com

This page may also be of interest (from 2003):

BBC - Press Office - New generation of television detector vans

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The new vans use the most advanced technology available and are the first to be designed with removable TV Licensing branding, designed to make them look like any other white van on the streets.

Vanessa Wood, TV Licensing spokesperson, said: "These new vans really are a case of 'now you see it, now you don't'. "Because we are able to remove the TV Licensing logo, licence evaders won't know we're in the area unless we want them to.

"50 years ago you could spot the first TV detector vans coming a mile off as the aerial on top was as wide as the van. This is the first time we have used covert vans and they will be only one part of our activities to target licence evaders."

Last year TV Licensing caught over 440,000 evaders. The technology developed especially for this new generation of vans means that evaders are even more likely to be caught.

Vanessa Wood said: "The new vans are so powerful they can tell if a TV is in use in as little as 20 seconds. And once the television is detected, the equipment - which works from up to 60 metres away - can pinpoint the actual room that the television set is in.

"However, the technology is so secret that even the engineers working on different detection systems worked in isolation – not even they know how the other detection methods work."

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Dear God, if you took out the word “British” in the entire article, I thought I was reading a report from Communist China or Cuba.

I immigrated from Canada, and this just boggles the mind. Thanks for the info.

You need ANOTHER license to SELL a TV???

Dear God, if you took out the word “British” in the entire article, I thought I was reading a report from Communist China or Cuba.

I immigrated from Canada, and this just boggles the mind.

Welcome Home :-)

Thanks for the info.

You're quite welcome; my pleasure :-)

You need ANOTHER license to SELL a TV???

I should correct my previous post which I made from memory (always a bad plan for me). According to the TV Licensing page for dealers, you need to be "registered" which MAY be different from a 'license'. I am HOPING that there's an exemption for private individuals, so you can sell your buddy your old TV when you're tired of it, but I couldn't find any mention of sales between private individuals at the TV licensing site.

TV Licensing - TV Dealers

Why do we need to notify you of all our sales and rentals?

	If you sell or rent TV receiving equipment, under The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967 (as amended) - you are required to notify us within 28 days of each transaction, providing full details of the purchaser or hirer. This includes the sale or rental of any new or second-hand: TVs VCRs DVD recorders Set-top boxes PCs with broadcast (TV) cards TV cards

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	Do we need to be registered with you to send our notifications?

	Yes. If you are not already registered, please click here to download a registration form. Print and complete your registration form and post it to us at: TV Licensing (dealer department) Customer Services Centre PO Box 88 Darwen BB3 1YX Alternatively, you can call us on 0844 800 5819.

What information do we need to give you?

	You will be required to complete a form which details:
	The purchaser or hirer's: Title, initials and surname Address and postcode of where the equipment will be installed The date of the transaction Whether the equipment is colour or black and white Header and trailer - for disk and email notifications Your dealer name and address Your dealer registration and outlet number. What type of equipment it is (TV, video recorder, DVD recorder, set-top box, PC with broadcast card etc) - although this data is optional it is really valuable information and your help is appreciated.
	Please take care to ensure that you spell everything correctly and any information that is hand-written is legible.

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	What happens if we don't notify you?

	It is an offence not to notify us of every transaction. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to £1,000 per offence for you, or the store manager employed by your company. Recently a major retailer was fined a total of £14,400 plus £1,350 costs for failing to notify TV Licensing of television equipment sales and rentals in 3 of its stores.

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	What do you do with the information?

	We log all notification details into our database, which we match against our records of current licence holders. If they don't match up we will investigate any potential licence evaders who may be breaking the law by watching TV without a licence.

Why do we need to notify you of all our sales and rentals?

Do we need to be registered with you to send our notifications?

What information do we need to give you?

What happens if we don't notify you?

What do you do with the information?