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by fpp 3883 days ago
just half true - you're right with regard to recorded broadcast, but...

Do you drive a modern car, do you have surveillance cameras at your property / your offices? - Bang you have to have a TV license in the UK even if you don't watch any TV.

Every year thousands of people in the UK are pulled to court / persuaded to pay thousands of £s to settle enforcement cases against them (or even go to prison) because they only look at half of the rules.
2 comments
PuffinBlue 3883 days ago
No, you don't. You're reading the legislation incorrectly which can happen if you just read it sequentially. Nobody goes to prison because their car has a reversing camera, that's absurd.

Whilst true that in Section 9 (Part 3) of 2004 No. 692 ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS BROADCASTING The Communications (Television Licensing) Regulations 2004[0] a 'television receiver' is defined as:

    any apparatus installed or used for the purpose of receiving (whether by means of wireless telegraphy or otherwise) any television programme service, whether or not it is installed or used for any other purpose.
...the key part is Section 363 of Part 4 of the Communications Act 2003[1] which states:

It an offence to

    * install or use a television receiver or

    * possess or have control of a television receiver with the intent to install or use it or

    * possess or have control of a television receiver and know or have reasonable grounds for believing that another person intends to install or use it without a valid TV Licence issued under the Communications Act.
If you own or possess a television set without installing or using it as a TV receiver (e.g. you only use it to watch videos or DVDs, or as a monitor for a games console) then you don’t need a TV Licence. This is what the ''television programme service' refers to in Section 363 - the key part being that a TV receiver is concerned with the reception of live or 'virtually live' broadcasts.

This has been confirmed many times and directly by the BBC in this FOI request[2]

[0] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/692/pdfs/uksi_200406...

[1] http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/part/4

[2] https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/laws_on_tv_license

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LukeB_UK 3883 days ago
Mind pointing me towards where it states this? Some examples of the court cases would be nice too, seeing how they're so plentiful.
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