What Do iCrave?

I've been reading a bit about the dealings going on concerning the "internet startup" iCrave TV. According to the media, everybody and their producer's dog is in a bit of a snit about how wrong it is to just give away television for free. Oh, wait. Look what I'm saying.

Actually, the media has been reporting this story with a surprising amount of impartiality, considering that most of the stations I've watched who reported on this are also considering taking legal action against the company's president, William Craig.

To be honest, the media has been so fair to both sides, I haven't really been able to determine anything about the whole thing from the stories. How does the old saying go? "If you can't say anything nice," make sure you don't say anything nice about the other guys too?

According to iCraveTV's public response, the CRTC states that it is legal to rebroadcast television signals in Canada that are received by antenna, provided they are unaltered. There may be more stipulations, but even this much isn't listed on iCraveTV's web pages, and frankly I'm lazy enough that I'm satisfied to rely on thirdhand information and heresay rather than go to the CRTC and troll through whatever big book of Canadian Brodcasting that happens to be sitting out for me to read.

There are quite a few big corporations that are pretty pissed off at iCraveTV now. Mostly American based companies, like the NFL and FOX, from what I can tell, but the CBC is also one of the powers involved in this little scene.

In the defense of the large money-grubbing corporations, Craig hasn't done too much to ensure the content doesn't get retransmitted beyond the boundaries he should be restricting himself to. There is a simple little form at the beginning that asks from what area code you are viewinig from, but it's not to difficult to figure out a Canadian area code. I find 519 works quite well. Also I don't know if framing the "unmodified" picture with advertisments of your own can be considered to be done in good faith.

The CRTC oddly enough, hasn't made any kind of action one way or the other. There's no indication even, that they are even considering the implications of iCraveTV's actions, which surprises me. If it's broadcasting rights that we're concerned with here, then certainly the CRTC should have some kind of opinion on this. Maybe they're all too ashamed to admit that they sit around watching soaps all day.