Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!decwrl!decvax!ima!mirror!prism!jib
From: jib@prism.TMC.COM
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Software piracy (that old doggy)
Message-ID: <242000027@prism>
Date: 9 Jun 89 13:32:00 GMT
References: <29868@crash.cts.com>
Lines: 30
Nf-ID: #R:crash.cts.com:-2986800:prism:242000027:000:1377
Nf-From: prism.TMC.COM!jib    Jun  9 09:32:00 1989


RE: Taping from Television
We are getting off the topic of Apple2s, but I don't think incorrect
information should be allowed to spread...

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that time-shifting of OVER-THE-AIR broadcasts
was permissible.  That is ALL the betamax ruling held.  That means that it
is clearly OK to tape a show from standard television for later viewing.

IT DOES NOT discuss (and therefore the legality is NOT clear) taping shows
from Cable; it does not discuss viewing time shifted tapes over and over
(or even keeping them after you watch them once).  It is true that people
do this all the time and it is very unlikely anyone will challenge it, but
it is INCORRECT to say it is "legal."  It is also incorrect to say it is
"illegal" since a court has not ruled on the precise issue.

Enough about this.  If you want to discuss it further, try MISC.LEGAL.

(People should not post what they "THINK" is the law unless the know it to
be true).

Disclaimer: I AM a lawyer and I did read the articles about the Betamax
case, but I did NOT read the case itself and this article is my (somewhat
educated) opinion, NOT LEGAL ADVICE.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Block		jib@prism.TMC.COM  
{mit-eddie, pyramid, harvard!wjh12, xait, datacube}!mirror!prism!jib

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