"Legal compliance: Canvas will comply with all applicable laws including
competition and state aid law."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/june/canvas.shtml
This is BBC policy and a legal requirement.
Mo McRoberts wrote:
On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 04:02, David Tomlinson
<d.tomlin...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
The 'canvas' interface is still subject to copyright and subject to a cost
recovery fee, as are logos etc (not required by open source solution).
Without the Canvas UX, you're not permitted to access any Canvas content.
That is, you can run a completely separate system based on the Canvas
specs, but unless you implement the Canvas UX, you can't access the
content the Canvas JV partners supply to the real Canvas system.
"1.20.
This approval is given subject to the "free-to-air principle", that
users will always be able to access Canvas free to air,"
1.24
"the joint venture may develop ways in which to recover operational
costs but, for the avoidance of doubt, any such activity will be charged
to third parties on a "cost recovery" basis only;
entry controls in terms of technical and content standards will be minimal;
access will not be bundled with other products or services; and"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/our_work/canvas/canvas_conclusions.pdf
At a minimum Free To Air content (HD) will be available
for off-air recording using the EPG (using open source or other software).
iplayer will remain free to use and others members of Canvas may only
charge for cost recovery.
Assuming that as an individual you pay the relevant cost recovery (zero
for iplayer) it would appear to be anti-competitive (illegal and against
BBC policy) to restrict access to the Canvas UX, and also defeat the
purpose of publishing the specification.
I would not be in the slightest bit surprised if the only way to get
at the specs is via the DTG -- that hasn't been confirmed yet, but
there's been little to suggest otherwise to date.
I would, my expectation is that the specifications will be public.
The BBC has legal obligations to make it's services available to the
public and not to behave in an anti-competitive manner.
Associate membership of the DTG is a possibility (insufficient detail
available) but as I have stated, I do not expect this to be necessary.
"Affiliate membership
Affiliate Membership is offered to UK and international not-for-profit
organisations such as trade associations, registered charities, special
interest groups and central government departments that have an interest
in the work of the Group."
http://www.dtg.org.uk/dtg/joining.html
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