Copyright issues with Smart TV internet browsing? Has it put a cap on the capabilities of Smart TVs internet browsers?

The topic of copyright within the Smart TV market is very interesting  (http://www.vieuws.eu/issues/26-eu-digital/71-eu-digital-agenda/273-interview-commissioner-neelie-kroes/) and brings to attention the issues raised by the SOPA petition in 2011. Smart TV browsers could potentially bring copyright issues to the living rooms for hundreds of thousands of people. Internet browsers are not new technology and the ability to access & stream illegal content has been around for a long time but Smart TV brings about new opportunities.

Having a system (in this case Smart TV) in the living room that makes accessing and streaming illegal content easy & accessible creates a problem. Its one thing having people streaming content from laptops etc but the problem becomes a different story when living room culture is involved. With content being much more accessible- could this culture do some serious damage to the film/music industry? With the future of certain media industries at hand does Smart TV play a role? If every household is able to easily stream illegal content, industries might struggle.

At the moment there is a compatibility 'floodgate' stopping all content on the internet becoming available via Smart TVs. Many Smart TVs are not able to process content on media rich web pages, they are not able to meet the flash player requirements. Without a way to control how people are able to watch illegal streams it is unlikely that TV companies will be allowed to unleash these services to their customers. i.e. TV internet browsers may not ever be completely compatible- this puts to bed the idea of a fully 'internet connected' TV, and the idea of TV-computer convergence.

Many media & government experts are looking into how the Smart TV market will effect copyright laws and how it will change the habits of users. Neelie Kroes, vice president of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda in Europe, believes that it can combated by technology and won't be a problem. She does however think that in a few years 90% of TVs sold will be connected to the internet and therefore understands the scale of the project.

"Noting that within just two to three years, 90 per cent of the TVs sold in Europe would be connectable to the Internet, Kroes said that during the year, the EC would be coming forward with a paper on Connected TV. “It will consider how Europe can realise the opportunities – and of course, how it can meet challenges too. For example: can we preserve the integrity of broadcasting signals? How would competing but incompatible technical standards affect the viewer experience? How will our traditional rules on advertising, protection of minors and promotion of European works apply? We want to ask these questions, and make sure we are ready to let this market flourish,” she suggested.

“We don’t have all the answers yet. But I want to find them out: and so we will be talking to stakeholders — users, producers and regulators — so that Europe can truly hook up to the Connected TV ecosystem,” she concluded."

Kroes N. 2011. viEUws.com.