Feb 20 2006

The BBC reports that people who watch TV on mobile phones or computers could face a £1,000 fine unless they have a £126.50 TV licence. Shows broadcast on any device at the same time as they appear on TV are governed by standard licensing laws, a UK TV Licensing spokesman said.

However, viewers do not require a TV licence if they only use mobile phones or computers to watch shows which aren't being broadcast "live", such as video-on-demand, says the BBC.

TV Licensing already gathers data from computer retailers and is "in touch with" mobile phone companies and retailers to ensure viewers have a licence as required, they report.

"We have a database of 28 million addresses that shows us who does and does not have a current TV licence," the TV Licensing spokesman said.

"We have caught people watching TV on computers already