Dear British Broadcasting Corporation,

As currently written here :-

http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/tv...

"
As a general rule, if you’re watching a programme on a computer or other device at the same time as it’s being shown on TV, then the programme is “live” so you need a TV license. If you use the live rewind function to restart a live programme or rewind a live stream for up to 2 hours, you also need a TV license. This is because you’re still accessing the live simulcasts. Most UK households will already be covered by an existing TV license for their main TV set.
"

Please provide the explicit rule that a person may watch a programme via iPlayer.

I am interested to know your rules on watching 'live' if I could legally watch without a current tv license :-

- watch a programme on iPlayer that is not yet finished being transmitted on a radio frequency?

- watch an 'old' programme (or episode of) on iPlayer that is currently being transmitted as a repeat on a radio frequency.

- watch a programme that happens to be available on iPlayer and is due (perhaps as a repeat) to be transmitted via a radio frequency starting at a time before the version of the programme I am watching on iPlayer is scheduled to complete.

- start to watch a programme (with a run time greater than two hours) on iPlayer whose 'live' start time relative to the time I am watching it on iPlayer is :-

* less than two hours ago
* two hours ago
* more than two hours ago

I am really trying to determine what written or documented rules you have of a 'live' transmission; and why you need to provide a 'general' rule rather than an explicit/accurate one.

Perhaps you can additionally provide the information you hold that would be used in a court of law or by TVL so either body can accurately determine the legal position of someone watching a programme on iPlayer.

Can you also state if anyone has been charged with license evasion for watching a programme on iPlayer at the some time it is being transmitted 'live' - if there is an example, please provide.

The programme name that was being watched,
the evidence of the person's iPlayer activity and how it was captured and linked to the person charged.
the start time of the 'live' transmission of this programme.

Thank you

Yours faithfully,

Mark Salter