OK, I voted all of the above, you'd better arrest me now... But it's not really as bad as it sounds...

The majority of my TV downloads are old British telly programmes that you just can't get on DVD and are highly unlikely to ever be repeated (Mary Whitehouse Experience, Fist of Fun, Takin' Over the Asylum, old Dr. Who, Sean's Show, Maid Marian and her Merry Men........). In all these cases I think it's far more of a crime that they might never be seen again compared to whatever copyright laws are being broken by their illegal distribution...

I do download new stuff too, but only occasionally, and usually I'll delete it after I've watched it and then buy the DVD when it comes out...

I generally tend to buy everything that I download (eventually). The exception being Sugar Rush because Channel 4 licenced a lot of the songs for broadcast only, so couldn't put them on the DVD.

I refuse to answer that question, in that my answer may serve to incriminate me.

While i don't anymore... i downloaded the first half of S4 Smallville last year. It actually spoiled my enjoyment of the season when it began to air. I haven't downloaded season five though a very good friend of mine has just sent me the first six episodes of the fifth season on DVD-R as a surprise and i've watched them...

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by Byron
I refuse to answer that question, in that my answer may serve to incriminate me.

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As "fair use" downloading isn't illegal under dutch law (uploading is though) I don't suffer from this problem. Much of the stuff I download isn't aired in the Netherlands at all or is aired very much later. I see downloading as my own personal video recorder. As most pvr's and now skip commercials I don't really see the harm of it to be honest.

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by Chambler
(quotes)
As "fair use" downloading isn't illegal under dutch law (uploading is though) I don't suffer from this problem. Much of the stuff I download isn't aired in the Netherlands at all or is aired very much later. I see downloading as my own personal video recorder. As most pvr's and now skip commercials I don't really see the harm of it to be honest.

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Actually I'm not sure it's illegal in the UK as, to my knowledge, there's yet to be a test case. But you can bet if it isn't, you can rely on Blair's media-pleasing government to ensure it soon will be.

i tend to download US stuff that isnt over here yet..too impatient to wait till next year

(Edited by Dawndbbear 15/11/2005 11:19)

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by Byron
(quotes)
Actually I'm not sure it's illegal in the UK as, to my knowledge, there's yet to be a test case. But you can bet if it isn't, you can rely on Blair's media-pleasing government to ensure it soon will be.

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I guess it'd be covered by the copyright act and thus it'd be unlawful to download whole episodes but not snippets etc.

I think it's something like a £10,000 fine as the maximum sentence. I think it's 10K for businesses caught copying copyrighted documents (in any form, including digital media) without the necessary licence. So I presume if you're uploading that would be classed as "intent to supply" or whatever the TV equivalent is

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Current US series as they air

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Plus a few old eps of missed seasons.