Broadcast Flag Primer
November 30th, 2003
A good introduction to the FCC’s broadcast flag ruling on Slate:
Broadcast-flag technology works like this: Digital TV signals that are broadcast over the air, rather than transmitted via cable or satellite, will include an invisible data tag — the broadcast flag — along with the picture and sound. By FCC fiat, any digital TV tuner built after July 1, 2005, must refuse to allow broadcast-flagged programs to be recorded in such a way that they can be redistributed in their high-definition format. You’ll be able to record Letterman tonight and watch him tomorrow but you won’t be able to e-mail a copy to your friends.
Link via Scripting News.