According to ABC’s Lateline Business, Channel 9 is taking icetv to court, claiming that it has violated Channel 9’s copyright on its TV guide information that it has owned since 1956, when it began broadcasting.
It also seems that Channel 9 will be arguing that the company’s software to record TV programs digitally is also illegal. So, this could be the battle for your PVR or set-top box’s future.
My understanding is that recent changes under the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement made recording of TV programs legal for timeshifting purposes, provided that you don’t share recorded programs with other people. Previously actually recording anything with your VCR in Australia was a breach of copyright.
