> Date: Mon, 02 May 2011 10:11:34 -0400 > From: David Sparro <dspa...@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: How do you put a TV station on the Mbone? > > On 4/29/2011 8:57 PM, Robert Bonomi wrote: > > Those royalties are based on the_actual_number_ of persons > > tuning in to each such work. No 'averaging', no 'estimating', nothing > > based on 'ratings', or other 'sampling techniques -- you have to count > > the_actual_number_ of people tuned in. It gets messy, but you have to > > have 'auditable' records of when each person 'tuned in', and when they > > 'tuned out'. One_has_ to be able to detect the latter condition under > > all possible circumstances. > > Really?
Yeah, _really_. That is what the law says. > How do they detect the number of people that were gathered > around my screen while I was watching? > Does that mean I'll be able to get a refund (pro-rated of course) for > falling asleep during UFC 129 this weekend? There is an 'assumption' built into the applicable implementation rules issued by the government that 'one active display device' == 'one viewer'. How close that assumption is to 'objective reality' is irrelevant to the legalities involved in calculating royalties due.
