I'm pretty keen the NBA has better things to do than to go after users watching their sport illegally/legally/etc/whatever word you want to use.... if anything, the NBA should be happy we watch their sport and are such big fans! Right?
just my two cents about ballstream - in the few days all was fantastic but for me right now i really consider renew after the month will end- the flash and progressive player become choppy in the last days. the vlc feature which suppose to give them huge advantage over league pass is really useless at this point because every version of the player freezes. the potplayer is buffering too even with 40 mega connection and besides you can't fastforward. so for me unless they fix the broken vlc feature i don't think renew and NO I DONT THINK LEAGUE PASS IS BETTER
League pass broadband is $129 and works with the Xbox 360. Ballstreams is $89.99 for the same product with a bit higher quality. I think the extra $40 is not enough to risk getting caught breaking the law for me. I wish you all the best.
The problem is, we're blacked out with LP, and can't watch our Rockets in Houston, you do know that right buddy? I don't want to deal with all that IP connection hacking/blocking or whatever and etc to be able to watch the Rockets on NBA LP and not be blacked out. If you ask me, you're altering the NBA's LP system, and I think that's just as illegal as someone saying BallStreams is illegal, right? I think BallStreams is safe. Theyve been doing it for Hockey NHL since 2007, and all is good. They seem to have great credential history and good rep. Plus, the admins are extremely active during the games, and it all seems legit and just wonderful. Like I've said many times, I myself, and many others don't really know and can't compare the legality of NBA games to NHL games... maybe the NHL is more lenient and don't care, and maybe the NBA is just the same, we'll just have to wait and find out. For what it's worth and for what we're getting with this service, it blows NBA LP outta the waters and NBA LP should learn a thing or two from BallStreams, who is run by normal people like us. Happy BallStreamin' guys, I hope it never gets shut down because it's awesome.
I'm not saying they're not good about that kind of thing... but the NBA is a much more powerful beast than the NHL. You can VPN safely to avoid blackouts.
I know you're ballstreams' biggest fan, but don't be in denial about the reality of it. A direct competitor to the profits they stand to gain via their League Pass service is, indeed, something they give two *****s about. I'm with Pizza_da_hut... it is seriously not worth the risk.
I would rather just use the webs to find a VPN into another market and go that way. Using a VPN to conceal your location is a lot less sketch than using these streaming sites, especially if they say they will sell your info if it is what is best for them legally. The NBA will eventually crush this site, its not a matter of if more a matter of when. The bigger it gets the likelier it is it gets taken down. Heck, a lot of these sites are being taken down by Homeland Security! The NHL might let this site slide, but I seriously doubt the NBA does nothing about these guys. Also, I don't think BallStreams is run by normal people like us. What they do is basically steal another person's idea and sell it cheaper than the original person did. That sounds just like a corporation, like the drug companies, like the banks, like the NBA, not like you or me. You're not giving the money to some noble underground cause, you're just giving it to a weaker corporation that will sell you out if you get caught. I wish you the best, and I do hope nobody gets in trouble for this, but for the extra $40 I'll stick with LP Broadband.
Even if the NBA went after the subscribers, what could they possibly get from them? Make them pay for a year of LP? How would they prove that the subscribers knowingly signed up for a service that is illegal. There is nothing on the site that suggests anything illegal. It looks totally legit. I am sure a lot of people don't even know about LP or it's rules or NBA's media rules. They just search, find this site, looks good, good reviews and they sign up... Not to mention that their TOS says: All BallStreams™ broadcasts are copyrighted to the NBA®. Looks legit to me
Exactlyyyyyyyyyyyyy. To close this topic, BallStreams is doing something NBA LP could never do properly. My hat goes off to BallStreams and their amazing service.
Wait...what does this mean? That doesn't sound good International Users This Website is controlled, operated and administered by BallStreams™ from its offices within the Netherlands, and other areas through out the world. BallStreams™ makes no representation that materials at this site are appropriate or available for use at other locations outside of the BallStreams™ and access to them from territories where their contents are illegal is prohibited. You may not use the Website or export the Content in violation of North American export laws and regulations. If you access this Website, you are responsible for compliance with all local laws.
Hehe...my chat with the admin :grin: 7:20 Me Hey. Based on your TOS - is this website / service illegal in North America?? 7:20pmbilly no 7:20pmbilly it is not illegal to watch streams 7:21pmbilly if we were located in north america, it would be illegal for us to do what we do 7:21 Me What does the 'International Users' section of TOS talking about? 7:21pmbilly it's a generic terms of service 7:21pmbilly most services you come across will have similar wording 7:22 Me Yeah but this specifically implies that it is illegal for people in North America to use this service You may not use the Website or export the Content in violation of North American export laws and regulations. If you access this Website, you are responsible for compliance with all local laws. 7:23 Me I believe our local laws prohibit this and NBA can go after the subscribers 7:23pmbilly they cannot 7:23pmbilly for one, they would never know who the subscribers are. Incoming and outgoing traffic is encrypted. We do not collect any information about you other than an IP Address. 7:24 Me What about name and email ? 7:24pmbilly you are misinterpreting the wording in the terms 7:24pmbilly North American export laws and regulations 7:24pmbilly neither you or us are exporting from north america. 7:25pmbilly as I said, it's generic terms; and you have nothing to worry about. 7:25 Me OK just want to make sure...don't want it to end up like the music industry suing people for using Napster and similar services 7:25pmbilly flattering to be compared to napster, but I doubt we'd ever garner that much attention; from anyone
Yeah, because when the music industry and the movie industry went after people who illegally downloaded their products nobody owed thousands of dollars or faced possible jail time. Also if you think this is legal then you are severely delusional...
Billy says it's legal. It's legal. Seriously, though. I'm not too familiar with the other cases. Were they under the impression that it was a legal service? Would it make a difference if they knew it was illegal?
North America Exporting laws? What dope is he on. At least get the law right for pretending legal. It's called copyright. Oh, yeah, the US has the jurisdiction over these mimis, particularly because they make the streams available in the US and they are aware of it. The FBI went over to China and caught a bunch of operators over there. I am not kidding.
Ignorance is not a defense. It never is. If it can't get me out of a speeding ticket, it can't get you out of defrauding one the NBA. Even if they tell you its legal, that's isn't a defense either. If Billy is an American attorney I might change my tune. Did any ask Billy if he was a lawyer?
While they may not be breaking Dutch law (which I doubt, Netherlands is a Berne country and see here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parties_to_international_copyright_agreements), they are breaking the US law. It's like someone in Iran putting this up and telling you they are not breaking Iranian law so you will be safe in the US. You gotta be kidding me. It doesn't even pass the laugh test.
The government has more important things to worry about than a bunch of Rockets fans watching games because they CAN'T watch on TV. It would be shocking for the government to spend the money and take the time to go after every customer. I don't know maybe they should worry about the economy, foreign policy, the travesty that is our education system, catching real criminals, the list goes on.
