pilgrim@thrint.DEC (Alf Pilgrim, IOSG, REO G5-6, x3451) (08/16/84)
>I have been informed by a usually reliable source that some 'TV Rating' >services use an electronics van driving through a neighborhood to >determine who is watching what on TV. I am not sure whether this is to >callibrate the reliability of diary keeppers, supplement diary usage, >for over-night samplings, or a separage service. This eaves-dropping >is quite possible, since TV receivers are *not* all that quiet. The >heterodyne tuning and amplification circuits all use oscilators, etc., >and there is much energy released in directing the beam. When you turn >on the TV, *you* are broadcasting, too (with rather low power & S/N, >admittedly). The only question of practicallity is the cost of equipment >to do it sized for mobility. >> Whether such data would be admissable as evidence of theft of service >> is quite another matter. >As has been pointed out, crypto is the solution -- those who want to >broadcast proprietary material had better protect it. In general >commerce it is hard to claim proprietary infringement without attempting >to protect the information. Harassment shouldn't count! If they want >to claim they have fulfilled their duty of protecting their claimed >proprietary rights, they should show use of appropriate technology. In the UK, the BBC uses 'TV detector vans' to catch people who watch broadcast services (paradoxically both BBC and ITV) without owning a TV licence. (The fee from the licence is used to fund the BBC.). The evidence collected by the TV detector van, which roams the streets, is acceptable to a British court. Other than this threat of the TV detector van there is no action taken by the broadcasting authorities to protect their information. It is NOT a permissible excuse to claim that you only ever watch ITV programmes but some people have recently been acquitted on the grounds that they only use their TV for pre-recorded videos or as a computer monitor. It seems that to get away with this argument the TV must not be connected to an ariel. Also you cannot record TV programmes for later viewing on the video. alf ...!decwrl!rhea::thrint::pilgrim Thu 16-Aug-1984 16:54 GMT