http://action.eff.org/action/index.asp?ste...tep=2&item=1517

"Turner Broadcasting CEO Jamie Kellner describes personal video recorders (PVRs) like TiVo and ReplayTV as devices designed to "steal" programming. Kellner refers to some imaginary contract we have with television networks that is breached when we don't watch the advertisements"

The above is an excerpt from a rather interesting article (link above), a must read for those interested in "personal freedoms". While stealing copyrighted material is one thing, this guy is just WAY out there.

ALSO, something else many on this board may be interested in: http://action.eff.org/action/index.asp

Senator Ernest Hollings and a powerful group of Hollywood entertainment interests are pushing Congress to pass an anti-consumer bill called the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act (CBDTPA) that may make it impossible to:

-Play your CDs on your desktop computer
-Create legal copies or mp3s of the music that you own to play in your car, or listen to while you exercise
-Create mix-CDs of music you've paid for

Oh what a wonderful democracy we live in

Enjoy -

 

My SVHS fast forwards comercials automatically. Is that stealing?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by S2K Fan
[B]My SVHS fast forwards comercials automatically.

 

How can they call it stealing? Wouldn't ignoring them on TV be the same as fast forward them?

 

By Mr. Kellner's logic, a swap channel button or (picture-in-pitcure) constitutes stealing as well - I am avoiding watching the commercials in favor of an alternate program.

Some of this has already been duked out in court (betamax days), with the consumer "winning".

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ltweintz
[B]How can they call it stealing?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Cubic Inch
[B]
I agree.

 

You may be right about the networks working to "dumb-down" Americans, but I think what's really happened is the networks have learned to take advantage of Americans that have been "dumbed-down" by an EXTREMELY liberal education system!

American colleges and universities have been hugely successful lowering standards in secondary schools by brainwashing education students. They teach that its "unfair" for smarter students to excell beyond the rest, that "average' is what all students should be, and are encouraged to "push" students through the educational system to get them out with minimal cost to the system.

Of course I'm generalizing and there are some very dedicated teachers out there that put the child's education first. However, there's no question that education programs are extremely liberal. I know an exchange student visiting from Thailand and the Thai secondary education program is TOUGH! They attend school six days a week, have virtually no free time (homework) and are light years ahead of students in the same grade here.

Think about it. If a special interest group in a free society wanted to change the thoughts and aspirations of the masses to make them more dependent on the government, wouldn't the educators of our children be logical targets?

Stealing commercials is one thing, stealing the minds of our children is something else!

 

Well, the only reason they are so "tangled" about this is that they may be forced to lower their advertising rates and God forbid that was ever to happen!

Also, these folks are more likely invious of the technology of players like TiVo and want to take it out on consumers. It's no wonder we live in a Free Country that we pay gazzillions of dollars in TAXES and always have the last of a technology that has been developed in another country.

Rambling. . .sorry. . .