TV Licensing have successfully prosecuted online viewers without a television licence, according to reports in today's Daily Telegraph.
The prosecutions came to light when the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee tabled questions to the Licensing Authority, the BBC. In their written response to MPs the Corporation declared: "There have been successful prosecutions of people watching online without a licence."
An increasing number of viewers are turning to the internet to view TV content. As the law currently stands, a licence is required to watch live-streamed television programmes across the web. A licence is not required to watch previously broadcast programmes on catch-up services like the BBC iPlayer, 4oD or Demand Five. Ownership of an internet connection, just like ownership of a TV, does not require you to have a licence - although TV Licensing often have their own deceitful interpretation of the law.
Those opposed to the fee will likely be interested in the new tactics TV Licensing employ to incriminate online viewers. Several broadband providers have already refused to co-operate with TV Licensing's endeavours to police cyberspace.
Remember that regardless of your TV licence status you are not obliged to respond to any correspondence from TV Licensing.
In fact we strongly recommend you do not.
The prosecutions came to light when the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee tabled questions to the Licensing Authority, the BBC. In their written response to MPs the Corporation declared: "There have been successful prosecutions of people watching online without a licence."
An increasing number of viewers are turning to the internet to view TV content. As the law currently stands, a licence is required to watch live-streamed television programmes across the web. A licence is not required to watch previously broadcast programmes on catch-up services like the BBC iPlayer, 4oD or Demand Five. Ownership of an internet connection, just like ownership of a TV, does not require you to have a licence - although TV Licensing often have their own deceitful interpretation of the law.
Those opposed to the fee will likely be interested in the new tactics TV Licensing employ to incriminate online viewers. Several broadband providers have already refused to co-operate with TV Licensing's endeavours to police cyberspace.
Remember that regardless of your TV licence status you are not obliged to respond to any correspondence from TV Licensing.
In fact we strongly recommend you do not.
Same applies for online detection as does TV detection with detector vans. They won't use technology to chase after TV licence evaders because it's expensive to do and requires trained people to do it. TV Licensing's position is legally weak, so if you are challenged by them, either ignore them or deny everything. Let them prove their point, and don't confess to anything.
ReplyDeleteRemember, you don't have to prove your innocence. Innocent until proven guilty.
Yeh, i dont own a television, i dont own a freeviewbox or any other piece of equipment that can allow me to view tv live. The only thing that could it my notepad, vie BBc I player. But i NEVER watch LIVE television.
ReplyDeleteIn my previous address i made the misake of informing them that i live at the property and that i dont need a licence as i dont watch live tv.... still i would recieve reminders monthly and get knocks on the door every few months to check my place. I objected to the harrasement and invasion of privacy.
So once i moved to my new address i have not informed them and bin all the tv licencing- threat letters.
I do not see why they need to know who i am just so they can personalise thier mail to me and still pound my door like some demented Ballif.
As far as im concrned im not breaking the law, so i do not need to inform them of who i am or contact them.
I have been told they can get a warrent to search my property and take away my notpad for investigation!. I have also been told i can be summoned to court- even though they dont have my name or evidence??
Don't worry.
ReplyDeleteTV Licensing is full of shit.
They like to say things that scare people into buying a licence, whether they need it or not.
I regard the BBC licence letters as harrasment. I do not own or watch TV as it is crap, I have a life and interests from reading to practicle interests, so where does a BBC TV licence fit into my life ? It does not.
ReplyDeleteHow to stop this harrasment, I do not know unless enough of us got together, got organised and brought about some legal prosecution. But why should we as it would be time consuming and probably expensive.
Do I make an appointment with my MP ? No, it is in their interest to make us buy a TV licence.
Just keep ignoring the demands and read the bloggs.
Now wheres my book to read ?
Maybe 8 or so years ago, I was living in with a girl friend. In those days they sent pre-payed envelopes with their no-licence demands, in envelopes pasted in red on the outside "WHAT WOULD YOUR NEIGHBOURS THINK?".
ReplyDeleteWe didn`t have a telly.
I sent back nice polite letters to each one that came through the door, stating such and that I disagreed with their waste of trees to send this junk to me. Please don`t send any more, cos I aint got a telly.
I slowly used their own jargon back at them, so that if they were really pure and wanting to help the environment that they should re-plant trees. I/we still got harassment. I promised to send them a delivery of horse shit to plant their trees in in they wrote to me again.....
A small container that had been sealed and sanitised on the outside was sent to the tv licencing people, with their own pre-payment envelope stuck on the front.
I sent real horseshit to those that deserve it. Sorry, it seems that prepaid envelopes are no longer included (If you get one, send a brick, they cost lots)
The final delivery was promised of a ton of manure if you write to me again........ nothing else heard.
"I have been told they can get a warrant to search my property and take away my notepad for investigation!"
ReplyDeleteNo they can't, because a SW does not authorise the seizing of anything.