Submission + - BBC Abuse of license fee's (fluxradio.org)
therealgrumpydog writes: "This is where your life gets tricky from a legal "standpoint" in the UK with the BBC Television License. I have been trawling through the "small print" To see what is legal and illegal. Basically we are at a crux and damned in the UK by the BBC. You no longer need to have a television for the BBC and TV licensing to fine you. All you need is a device that can view or record any television programme and you are doomed. Yes that is right, you will have to pay £135.50 for a colour license and £45.50 for a monochrome (Black and White) television or any other device. So I ask where do we go from here? This is just another stealth tax and every mobile phone you buy, ipod,television, DVD recorder, computer, the information is legally past onto http://wwww.tvlicensing.co.uk/ Basically we are being screwed over and the government is abusing the Data Protection Act! This is illegal in law but it is enforced. We cannot keep on living like this! If you have an receiving device like a radio you still have to pay the fee's to the BBC.
I for one, if I do not have a television but have a computer that can stream television and radio, so what, but I am obliged by law to pay a license fee. I say fuck you BBC. The BBC used to have respect, especially the World Service. No longer does the BBC have that respect, it is just another stealth tax. Thanks to Blair and now Gordon Brown the UK is in a mess, So Just remember when you buy a new phone your details are stored on a database and you can be threatened with a fine up to £1,000 because you can receive television over it. It is an illegal offence if you do not buy a license, All your privacy has gone to pot.
Solution, buying any device that is capable of streaming any media, give a foobar name and address to stop the BBC stalking you unwarranted money. Btw your warranty on your goods is still valid, keep the receipt and original packaging.
Good luck, Do not feed the BBC Trolls"