@centrox,
centrox wrote:
McGentrix wrote:Especially when you get people coming to your actual door looking to take your things for payment of a license fee...
They are not coming to take your things for payment of the licence fee. They are coming to the door because you didn't pay the fine you got for breaking the law by watching TV without a licence, and holding out against the court, or ignoring it.
So, trying to score imaginary points or trying to make a point?
The BBC charges people to receive their signal. This "license" gives a person permission to view and record television programs as they are being shown on TV or live online. 2003 saw the Communications Act and 2004 saw Communications Regulations that made it illegal to watch or record TV as they were being shown on any channel or any broadcast platform or download or watch BBC without a valid license.
Quote:Section 363 of the Communications Act 2003 makes it an offence to install or use a television receiver to watch or record any television programmes as they’re being shown on television without a TV Licence.
Section 365 of that Act requires that a person to whom a TV Licence is issued must pay a fee to the BBC. The nature and amount of this fee is set out in the Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 (as amended).
Since 1991, the BBC, in its role as the relevant licensing authority, has been responsible for collecting and enforcing the TV Licence fee. The BBC contracts companies to do this work under the BBC trade mark ‘TV Licensing’. The BBC (and contractors acting on its behalf) must comply with the law in collecting and enforcing the licence fee. The BBC Charter further requires that these arrangements be appropriate, proportionate and efficient.
If you don't have the license and you are suspected of committing such a vile act as watching the telly without a license then a third party gets to take over for the BBC. This is handled by Capita Business Services Ltd (a private business) and they have a list of every address and whether or not a valid license has been purchased.
It's interesting to note that it's not a license to only watch BBC, it's a license to watch
any TV program. So, say you have DishTV, you need a license. If you only have Netflix though, you do not need a license.
Actual rules:
Quote:Licensable activity – under the Communications Act 2003 and Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004 (as amended) licensable activity broadly means using or installing any device to:
a) watch or record any television programme service;
b) watch or record any television programme at the same time (or virtually at the same time) as it is being shown on any television programme service; or
c) (as of 1st September 2016) watch or download any BBC programme on demand on BBC iPlayer, even if it is accessed through another provider, such as Sky, Virgin Media, Freeview or BT.
Licensable activity does not include:
a) watching programmes by means of pre-recorded media such as DVD and Bluray;
b) downloading or watching S4C TV on demand on BBC iPlayer or listening to radio programmes on BBC iPlayer.
c) downloading or watching on demand programmes from other providers, such as:
• ITV Hub, All 4 or Demand 5
• BT Vision, Virgin Media or Sky Go
• Netflix or Now TV
So, you have your TV, hooked to a laptop and you watch Netflix and you tell TV Licensing that you don't need a license, you'd think that would be the end of it, right? Nope, they do "random" searches semi-annually to be sure those that have said they don't need a license aren't really lying scum criminals. They also reserve the right to visit an address pretty much whenever they want. You know, just to be sure you aren't a lying piece of shite.
So, they have decided that you really should have a license and you've not paid it what next? Capita Business Services LTD will send you a reminder. If you don't pay, an "enquiry officer" will stop by unannounced for a home visit. Isn't that comforting? They care for you that much. They send out roughly 21 million reminder letters and perform 3.8 million visits annually. Many of those visits occur on Sundays.
An American wouldn't allow an "Enquiry officer" into their house without a warrant. But, many Brits do and then they are screwed. Self incrimination is a fine thing for them. So, they decide to prosecute or not then the case goes to court yada, yada, yada, you have outstanding fines.
Because of a license fee... So again, trying to garner imaginary points fro Drax and Izzy? Is that what your up to with your silly response?
