[dvd-discuss] Skipping commercials is theft.

[Scott A Crosby <crosby(at)qwes.math.cmu.edu>]

Interesting interview with the head of Turner Broadcasting System

        http://www.inside.com/product/product.asp?entity=CableWorld&pf_ID=7A2ACA71-FAAD-41FC-A100-0B8A11C30373

Choice quotes, but I *really* don't get how on earth one justifies that
first sentence.

Scott

--

                 JK: Because of the ad skips.... It's theft. Your
                 contract with the network when you get the
                 show is you're going to watch the spots.
                 Otherwise you couldn't get the show on an
                 ad-supported basis. Any time you skip a
                 commercial or watch the button you're actually
                 stealing the programming.

                 CW: What if you have to go to the bathroom or
                 get up to get a Coke?

                 JK: I guess there's a certain amount of
                 tolerance for going to the bathroom. But if you
                 formalize it and you create a device that skips

---

                 JK: Our company is working on a number of
                 different VOD models. The question's whether
                 these are going to be head-end-based models
                 or in-home models and whether ultimately
                 there's going to be a license required for use of
                 the copyrighted material, or whether people
                 make a bet the Betamax case can cover this
                 usage. My bet would be the Betamax case is not
                 going to cover this usage. What was a highly
                 questionable decision with the new technology
                 will not stand up to the potential of the digital
                 world. Whether there's going to be a challenge
                 or whether it's going to be legislation, there's
                 going to be some way in the digital world that
                 we can protect copywritten material. I think that
                 that's inevitable.

...

                 JK: Again, I think that whether it's legislation,
                 whether it's new technology, whether it's
                 challenging Betamax, whatever it is in the video
                 marketplace, we're going to have to find a way
                 to protect copywritten material or there will be
                 less of it made or it will not be made available in
                 windows where it's not protectable and that's
                 not good for consumers, so there's got to be
                 some way it's protected.