Copyright and Patents are beyond a joke, they are grossly abused, so should be scrapped, or at least severely reduced in scope and duration.

If you don't like a BBC continuing to be a corrupt, politicised Corporation, which negligently buys over copyrighted media from external contractors, and is in breach their Royal Charter, then vote with your wallet, and stop paying them!

Done so here!
Carefully read your next TV Licence reminder, see it is actually a invitation to voluntary contract, read any further reminders, see they are empty threats and sneaky tricks to self-incriminate, say no to trespass in your home or property, refuse all other communications.

Defend what is left of genuine Capitalism, and Common Law, to protect your life, liberty and property, and fight the growing cancer of Communitarianism, an evil Socialist fusion of Marxism and Fascism, so apparent in the EU, many states, NGOs, and corporations!

Prepare yourselves for the usual excuses about the licence fee "not covering" the content and how the BBC has to "monetize" their output through BBC Worldwide/Enterprises or whatever market-distorting operation they're running.

That's right, Britards: your licence fee doesn't buy you a seat at the table; such seats are reserved for the people at the Beeb who commission programmes, and their chums in private production companies who get paid over and over again for the same programme.

The licence fee is just your down-payment as far as the BBC gravy train is concerned.

I don't agree with you.

Even if the ad breaks were 30 minutes long, I could skip through them just as quickly on my DVD/HDD recorder (it lets me skip through in 5 minute jumps - what's the difference between pressing the buttons six times, over pressing it twice?) Most of the ads will never be seen - and that will dictate the price, yes - but it will get to a point where any ads that aren't anywhere near the beginning or the end of the ad break will simply be worthless.

Even if an ad break is not an exact multiple of 5 minutes, I have to say that finding the end is a very quick process. Jump forward 5 minutes. Still ads? Probably 100% of the time, so I usually just hit the button twice. Still ads? No? Jump back a minute. Got ads? Yep. Skip forward 5 seconds at a time - and then mark the ad break, hit delete, and presto! Ad-edited content! The search algorithm is something you might be fairly familiar with - binary search, or log2. It's fairly quick - and that's the problem - it's too quick.

Simple fact of the matter is, people aren't using VCRs anymore, and even if Sky introduced a restriction on skipping ads, it would simply mean that I never watch live content, but always spool to my DVD recorder before I watch(Sky+ already means that lots of people don't watch live TV these days, anyway.) Skipping 5, 10 or even 15 minutes of content with a single push of the button is now possible. No amount of ad content or technological blocks will prevent that. If I don't want to watch ads, I will not watch ads - end of story.

but with commercials.

They should use the model of that online site...which I suddenly can't remember the name of(sorry), but make it so someone has to press a button to start the commercial at a break. That increases the likelyhood that people are actually seeing the commercials, and therefore increases the value of the advertising time. Which means fewer commercials in the long run.

Here's the thing. If they know that people are fast-forwarding through their commercials, they'll add more commercials. But if it's impossible to fast-forward through the commercials, the commercials are worth more, so they don't need to buy as many. Call me cynical, but I think the amount of time you lose off commercials because they're more profitable is so close to the amount of time you gain by fast-forwarding that I'd rather lose the right to fast-forward. Plus, you don't have the stress of having to fixate on the screen so that you can presss play at just...the...right... NOW!!!

Firstly: AIUI the BBC were told that they cannot encrypt the content - so they very disingenuously tried to encrypt the transport layer. Clearly, this flagrantly disrespects the spirit of the law while paying lip service to the letter of it. I am amazed, but for once pleasantly so, that Ofcom have actually done the Right Thing.

Secondly: if the BBC want to behave like a commercial organization, I have no problem whatsoever with that - provided that they are also *funded like one*.

Anyway, they will be irrelevant in 10 or 20 years, since broadcasting is clearly doomed. Good riddance.

make the bbc subscription only then we'll see just how many brits adore the damned thing.

they are always patting themselves on the back and justify their existence using fabricated reports from the public saying how impartial and wholesome it is. (some people actually still believe this clag!)

well, if thats the case why are they so afraid of subscription only?

because they KNOW people will not bother with it and theyll suffer massive financial woes and they wont be able to pay their staff 6 and 7-figure wages and live affluently off the UK people. Many of whom are impoverished and begrudge it!

greedy &%$@#}!*

Either the content belongs to the license holder, or it does not.

The BBC should be offered a choice: They can have DRM - but in exchange, they will give up any and all funding via the TV license, full stop.

It sounds like they are trying to have their cake and eat it - force people to buy the stuff on DVD/Blu-Ray - so in effect, people end up paying twice.

It's strange how they think DRM is a good thing...
What is the point of it?
Do they get any money from iPlayer?
Will they lose any if someone watches the program a week after they say you shouldn't?

Sounds like someone in the Beeb wants to extend their contract, and so has recommended that they "protect their IP by using DRM"...whilst most probably using that EXCELLENT excuse "Oh, but so-and-so uses it..."

Get rid of the DRM. You are not Microsoft, and here's hoping you never will be!

Do we get to buy a cheaper TV license for when we are on different shifts, or maybe gone out and cant record the DRMed stuff?
F*wits!