Every so often TV Licensing's PR harlots direct the gospel according to TV Licensing towards a particular demographic.
For example, you may have noticed regular TV Licensing press releases about the number of black and white TV licences still in force; the annual reminder to pubs about showing football and rugby matches; and the annual reminder to students about when they need a TV licence.
On this occasion TV Licensing is targeting its attention towards users of Amazon's Fire TV service.
Fire TV, for those that don't know, is an alternative way of viewers enjoying predominantly on-demand content from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Dailymotion.
Users watch this content using (aff. links) smart Fire TV sets or a Fire TV streaming device like a stick or a cube that plugs directly into a normal TV set.
Most content available via Fire TV, being on-demand from providers other than the BBC, does not legally require a TV licence. It is, however, possible to watch some "live" broadcast TV programmes and BBC on-demand programmes via the iPlayer, which would require a TV licence.
A Reddit user recently recounted how a visiting TV Licensing goon had asked if he had a Fire TV stick (aff. link), because it could be used to watch "live" broadcast TV programmes.
The miscreant goon clearly thought he was going to catch the occupier out, but in reality even a positive reply that "yes, I do have a Fire TV stick" is no evidence whatsoever that a TV licence is legally required.
This is because a previous House of Lords appeal (Department of Trade and Industry Ex Parte Rudd (1987) 2All ER553) has determined that a TV licence is only needed if a device is actually used to watch "live" broadcast TV programmes, or BBC on-demand programmes, instead of merely being available for that purpose.
You can read more in our article "TV Licence Evasion: The Rudd Defence".
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