Hi Richard and Barbara,My lawyer pal, who incidentally thinks it is very poorly drafted legislation, says that the licensing authority argue that if you have a "device" then it is presumed you can watch and therefore you must pay. She also thought that they would never prosecute a household with just blind people resident in it because the supreme court would ultimately rule that this "was not what the legislators intended."
Maybe the RNIB should have a test case? Would In Touch know the answer? Jeff----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Godfrey-McKay" <richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 2:13 PM Subject: [access-uk] Re: TV licensing again
Yes, that's what I thought too, but it's not what the TV licensing page says, which is that you need a licence to watch. Strange eh? Richard Godfrey-McKay Telephone: 01738-445 880 Mobile: 07791 452 593 -----Original Message-----From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf OfBarbara Wilson Sent: 10 November 2011 13:52 To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [access-uk] Re: TV licensing again That's what I always thought. Barbara -----Original Message----- From: jeff flint Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 12:55 PM To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [access-uk] Re: TV licensing again Hi Barbara A lawyer friend told me yesterday that the law is if you possess a device capable of receiving TV, not if you actually watch it, which is the issue. I had a sighted friend who was prosecuted successfully because he a computer, he really never watched TV, but he could have. Jeff ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barbara Wilson" <barkingbabs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 12:43 PM Subject: [access-uk] Re: TV licensing againAlso remember that even if you don't need a licence for a sound receiver, you do if you watch online. Sorry if this has rleady been said. Barbara----- Original Message ----- From: "Barry Toner" <barry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 12:34 PM Subject: [access-uk] Re: TV licensing againHi John, Where is this from? The RNIB Goodmans product page? Regards, Barry. -----Original Message----- From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of john coley Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 8:10 PM To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [access-uk] Re: TV licensing again Hi Kevin, I've pasted below what it says. Note, although the heading is sound only receivers it refers to a digi box, none of which are sound only. Sound only receivers You do not require a TV licence if you use a digital set-top box solely to listen to television programmes through a hi-fi or stereo system. Theset top box must be incapable of recording and must not be connected to adevice capable of showing images. John. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kevin Cussick" <the.big.white.shepherd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 8:01 PM Subject: [access-uk] Re: TV licensing againThis is correct, you need a TV license if you equipment that can get a picture. It don't matter if you don't have a screen connected and I don't think theRnib actually said you didn't need a license if you don't have a screen.The only way you don't have to get a license is if you use something that can only get the sound a TV receiver, this has always been the case. I think if your blind you get the license half price anyway. So If the rnib have actually said you don't need a license with the smart box they are wrong I know I am sticking my neck out saying this but I havespoken to lots of people over the years and I know we get the sound freebut not the picture. I can't remember when this was written up I think it's an old wireless telegraphy rule dating back to 1948 I am not going to post any more about this this was my findings. And if I am now wrong fare enough I would love to be proved wrong but I don't think I am wrong. On 09/11/2011 14:47, Richard Godfrey-McKay wrote:When I looked at this quite some years ago, the licence was required ifyoupossessed equipment capable of receiving a TV transmission. Look as ifthey're saying that that position hasn't changed. Richard Richard Godfrey-McKay Telephone: 01738-445 880 Mobile: 07791 452 593 -----Original Message----- From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of john coley Sent: 09 November 2011 14:06 To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [access-uk] TV licensing again Hi everybody, a few months or so ago there was a thread regarding the Goodmans Smarttalk freeview box, and whether or not a licence was required if someone was using the box for sound only, with no TV plugged into it, just speakers. The general consensus was that a licence wouldn't be required. Checking on the RNIB website seemed to confirm that. As that applies to me I rang the TV licensing authority today to cancel mydirect debit. I explained the situation to them, and told them what theRNIB had to say on the matter, and the guy, having gone away to check came back and said that since the box could receive a tv signal at time of broadcast I would require a licence, whether a TV was connected to the box or not. Further to that he said that if I had a computer in my home I'd require a TV licence, since a computer has the potential of receiving TV broadcasts. Since this was completely at odds with what the RNIB said, and whatposters to this list had said I rang the RNIB to check. I haven't heardback from them yet, but it will be interesting to see what they say. According to the guy at TV licensing the only circumstance in which a license isn't required would be if the box wasn't able to receive a picture, and was a sound only receiver. Mind you, given what the guy said about the need for a licence if there was a computer at the address it sounds as if everyone needs one, since if computers do so would mobiles, since they also have the potential to receive a TV signal. John. ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- 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