Is all downloaded content illegal???

[seandrews]

What is the Legality of downloading shows that’s aren’t on a UK TV channel.???

I know people that pirate TV shows but don't do it myself.

a lot of these shows are on another UK tv channel and im guessing it's illegal and copyright infringement etc

what are the rules around downloading shows that don't have a UK broadcaster?

is it still stealing as there is effectively no rights holder that you are taking from?

[Annie+UK]

Do you really have to ask??? You're not excluded from IP theft just becasuse the content is not in your country!!!

[GD1]

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@seandrews wrote:

is it still stealing as there is effectively no rights holder that you are taking from?

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The rights holder is the studio who makes them, regardless of a UK broadcaster seeking the rights to broadcast any shows, it is still copyright theft.

So yes it is still stealing.

[nolte]

The uk broadcasters just license the content, they don't own it so the owners maintain the copyright regardless of whether there is a uk broadcaster or not.

179 countries are signaturies to the Berne Convention which is the main international agreement on intellectual property

[daveNOS]

@seandrews if your accessing the content by any means other than legitimate streaming services its illegal, there is no way of justifying it or trying to get around it.

[bob1234]

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@nolte wrote:

The uk broadcasters just license the content, they don't own it so the owners maintain the copyright regardless of whether there is a uk broadcaster or not.

179 countries are signaturies to the Berne Convention which is the main international agreement on intellectual property

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Whilst that is true, copyright holders can sell the copyright or even make it "public domain" should they wish.

[nolte]

@bob1234 wrote

• Whilst that is true, copyright holders can sell the copyright or even make it "public domain" should they wish.

Because they own the copyright and it is their's to decide how to distribute.

It is a decision for the person who owns the copyright.

[Timelord2018]

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@daveNOS wrote:

@seandrews if your accessing the content by any means other than legitimate streaming services its illegal, there is no way of justifying it or trying to get around it.

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Although Subscribing to say Peacock using a US VPN may be frowned upon but isn't Illegal, 

[nolte]

@Timelord2018 wrote:

• Although Subscribing to say Peacock using a US VPN may be frowned upon but isn't Illegal

It would be a breach of the Contract/Terms of use

Netflix state in their terms of use:

• 4.3. You may access the Netflix content primarily within the country in which you have established your account and only in geographic locations where we offer our service and have licensed such content

Looking at disney plus subscribers agreement, section 3 and more precisely b(i) deals with this.

[Timelord2018]

Yes it's against their terms and conditions  but I don't think it's technically illegal though

[seandrews]

Nice to know.

who exactly would prosecute my friend for him watching an episode of something that there is no UK rights holder?

do the big US media companies have a process where they monitor downloads and streams of their films & shows in countries that don't have access to the content?

are they monitoring the whole world's internet from Johannesburg to Delhi to Sydney to Rotterdam and Edinburgh to find people watching shows not licensed in those territories?

id understand if it were a Sky, discovery or UKTV show currently on a channel on BT, Virgin or Sky.

who exactly is losing in the scenario where someone is watching content that isn't available to them in the place they are watching as that content is not monetised so there isn't any financial impact on the production company or rights holder where it was made.

I get it's still most probably technically illegal but who exactly is being 'damaged' in this scenario? 
and what exact damage is happening. 

[ozsat]

The fact that something in not on a UK service to watch or download, does not mean there is no rights holder for the UK.

I can't see any company going after the odd individual who access the occasional programme from a different region.

But when companies help with accessing material that should not be availvble - you can end up in prision.

This was providing access to live events of which many were not available live in the UK - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65697595

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@seandrews wrote:

Nice to know.

who exactly would prosecute my friend for him watching an episode of something that there is no UK rights holder?

do the big US media companies have a process where they monitor downloads and streams of their films & shows in countries that don't have access to the content?

are they monitoring the whole world's internet from Johannesburg to Delhi to Sydney to Rotterdam and Edinburgh to find people watching shows not licensed in those territories?

id understand if it were a Sky, discovery or UKTV show currently on a channel on BT, Virgin or Sky.

who exactly is losing in the scenario where someone is watching content that isn't available to them in the place they are watching as that content is not monetised so there isn't any financial impact on the production company or rights holder where it was made.

I get it's still most probably technically illegal but who exactly is being 'damaged' in this scenario? 
and what exact damage is happening. 

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[oj01]

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@seandrews wrote:

Nice to know.

who exactly would prosecute my friend for him watching an episode of something that there is no UK rights holder?

do the big US media companies have a process where they monitor downloads and streams of their films & shows in countries that don't have access to the content?

are they monitoring the whole world's internet from Johannesburg to Delhi to Sydney to Rotterdam and Edinburgh to find people watching shows not licensed in those territories?

id understand if it were a Sky, discovery or UKTV show currently on a channel on BT, Virgin or Sky.

who exactly is losing in the scenario where someone is watching content that isn't available to them in the place they are watching as that content is not monetised so there isn't any financial impact on the production company or rights holder where it was made.

I get it's still most probably technically illegal but who exactly is being 'damaged' in this scenario? 
and what exact damage is happening. 

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A victimless crime is still a crime. 

The most common scenario here is that of watching illegal streaming of Premier League football, particularly those games that aren't televised in the UK. 

I'd suspect it's those providing the streams that are likely to be prosecuted rather than the individual watching them. 

[bob1234]

@oj01Those paying for a dodgy subscription were not prosecuted BUT as there addresses were found at the originators they received a warning letter, at least some did.

[nolte]

Many copyright holders pay Fact (Federation Against Copyright Theft) to investigate and pursue copyright theft