Bell promotes ‘illegal’ PVR
p2pnet news view | TV:- Bell Canada is promoting a new PVR knowing the government’s Bill C-61 specifically bars Canadians from legally using some of its features.
“Don’t miss a moment of live TV!” – say Bell’s online adverts.
“Record forever, and watch it, pause it, rewind it, and watch it again with the touch of a button. Browse our PVRs, HD receivers, and TV systems.”
Bell began marketing the external hard drive, “to accompany its expandable personal video recorder with the opening of the Olympic Games last week,” says the Canwest News Service, going on:
“The hard drive, retailing for $199, allows customers to transfer recorded programs to save shows ‘forever’ and free up space on their PVR.”
However, “Industry Minister Jim Prentice has promoted the time shifting provision as a great new benefit for Canadians, but the reality is that the approach is overly complex and restrictive,” says Ottawa law professor Michael Geist (right).
“If Bell is going to promote these products, then it should also speak out on C-61 to ensure that the law is compatible with its claims.”
Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, “proposed new copyright legislation, currently being debated in Parliament,” whihc, “forbids this type of archiving of recorded programs to build a library of recordings,” Canwest points out.
“Consumers can legally record TV shows for later viewing, but only for a limited time or ‘no longer than necessary in order to listen or watch the program at a more convenient time,’ according to Industry Canada’s backgrounder.”
.
.Stumble It!
Canwest News Service -Bell device may become illegal, August 13, 2008
Michael Geist – Bell’s Expandable PVR and C-61, August 12, 2008
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August 13th, 2008 at 9:27 am
In launching the promotion for this new PVR, whilst being perfectly aware of a possible passage of C-61 (in its present form), Bell demonstrates:
1) They’re going to continue with the “Cart, then Horse” methodology;
2) They still think they exist in a different time and space than the rest of the country, and can do whatever they want, regardless the obvious conflicts their actions create.
One would think that the new owners of Bell would have immediately started a mission to turn the company’s public image around, and “End All the Madness!” left to them by the previous ownership. Instead of an immediate examination of current practices inherited from previous ownership (DPI, throttling, etc.), Bell merely plods on – announcing another product and launching some lame “re-branding” campaign. Looks a little out of touch.
Maybe I’m being too quick to say it, but all I see is…
Same shit… different a-holes.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
tell me about it, we swim in it 8-5.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Great, an external HD that people will fill up and then have to buy another one. Not mention that hard drives eventually fail. What they should have done is allowed people to hook the PVR up to a computer and transfer the video files off, so that they can be burned to DVDRs.
August 13th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
$200 for a external hard drive?! If it is USB, why not go buy your own 1TB HDD?