US acts on digital TV piracy fear

Sending unauthorised copies of shows such as CSI will be barred

Rules to limit sending digital TV programmes over the internet have been approved by US regulators.

A code attached to digital broadcasts will bar consumers from sending unauthorised copies of popular shows.

The move is designed to prevent the kind of piracy that has hit the music industry.

Viewers will still be able to make unlimited copies of shows - but not send them over unsecured networks until protections are in place.

The so-called "broadcast flag" has been established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Manufacturers of television sets that receive digital over-the-air broadcast signals will have to produce sets that can read the digital code by 1 July, 2005.

Consumers will have to buy new DVD players if they want to play programmes recorded on machines that recognise the digital flag.

The Motion Picture Association of America hailed the move as "a big victory for consumers and the preservation of high value over-the-air free broadcasting".

But the campaign group Public Knowledge warned it could set a bad precedent by allowing Hollywood to dictate how computers and other devices should be built.

About 40 million Americans watch broadcast TV networks via an ordinary aerial, while most access them as part of their cable or satellite service.