Is it legal.

CADman

Can anybody explain the following?

Is it legal to use either a FTV card or Sky Freesat Card in the Republic of Ireland.

What as prompted me to ask this question is that a local Sky dealer here in the south, is supplying and fitting complete new Sky digibox systems including a Sky Freesat Card.This is for a one off payment and no subscriptions

CADman

denis1501

It is illegal. These are UK cards and are not supposed to leave the UK territory.
However, enforcing this particular rule is proving to be very difficult!
regards
D.

Krusty_Clown

There are other posts on this subject, if you do a search... Try 'illegal' as a search criteria. From memory, the previous posts pointed out that it is unlikely that the Irish government has put a law in place to ban the use of Sky Freesat cards in Ireland. So, while it may be illegal (or just downright naughty!) to take a Sky Freesat card out of the United Kingdom, using one in Ireland is probably not illegal.

Selling one in Ireland, on the other hand, would probably be a big no-no, and would also fit into the 'naughty' category.

watty

denis1501 wrote:

It is illegal. These are UK cards and are not supposed to leave the UK territory.
However, enforcing this particular rule is proving to be very difficult!
regards
D.

Rubbish.

Using a legitimately obtained card is legal anywhere. Read the Foreign Sat forum charter for explination.

Buying and selling Sky cards of ANY type, other than from Sky, might be illegal as the cards always belong to Sky.

watty

Krusty_Clown wrote:

So, while it may be illegal (or just downright naughty!) to take a Sky Freesat card out of the United Kingdom, using one in Ireland is probably not illegal.

Selling one in Ireland, on the other hand, would probably be a big no-no, and would also fit into the 'naughty' category.

It isn't illegal to take one out of the United Kingdom. It may break Sky T&C, but that is not a law, but a contract that is invalid ANYWAY, as soon as the card leaves the UK, and may even be invalid IN the UK (EU freedom of movement of goods & people and TV without Frontiers)

Sky may legally limit which address they post a card to and can legally ask for it back or turn it off. They have no other rights.

The ONLY illegal think really would be to not return it to Sky/NDS if they ask for it back.

Paying an agent to fetch it is technically not buying and selling.. Buying one indirectly is the Grey area. But if not stolen then no law is broken. So eBay will routinely block selling of them as they are not the eBayers property to sell.

Obviously modifiying the card or sharing the card would be piracy/theft and totally illegal everywhere in EU.

denis1501

So you're saying the dealer in the south might be breaking the law by selling an FTV card but the recipient isn't by using it????
How can this card be a 'legitimately' obtained card when it was obtained under false pretences???
The user of this card is receiving broadcasts only intended for viewing in the UK and for which an Irish broadcaster has the rights. He/She is not paying a legitimate subscription to the original broadcaster which is what I understood by the Charter you speak of.(I have used a Sky Italia card in Ireland for years but obtained legally at my Italian address).
It would be interesting to see a 'test case' in court.
regards
D.

watty

If you want to be sure of not doing any illegal then get it personally at a UK address.

But the only offence anyone can be charged with is theft of a card. The "rights" issues are purely contractural between Sky & the providers, nothing to do with the card holder or viewer.

watty

denis1501 wrote:

So you're saying the dealer in the south might be breaking the law by selling an FTV card but the recipient isn't by using it????
D.

yep.