It has existed since the first states and was named by the French, but it's often said that bureaucracy was "perfected" by the British, and exported to all the colonies. And while the legacy of colonial bureaucracy may exceed that of the U.K.'s today, the Brits are no slouches themselves.
Thus, we have the BBC rolling out a beta trial of Wi-Fi streaming television that could land viewers a £1,000 fine.
While commercial advertising has always supported television programming this side of the pond, in the U.K., television licences pay for the operation of the public broadcaster. If an inspector found you with a TV and no licence, well, as the Monty Python troupe would say, It's a fair cop but society's to blame.
Now, according to OUT-LAW.com, the publication of international legal firm Pinsent Masons, those who wish to watch streaming TV on their handheld device on the go may do so, provided they have a licence for their television at home.
Unless they plug their handset into a wall socket. In that case, apparently, it's considered to be on-premise. So if you're out for a pint in a dingy pub with no TV, you're breaking the law if you plug into the mains.
Naturally, there's an exception. If you are in a train, plane, boat or car, you are not breaking the law, as these aren't "premises."
The march of technology goes forward, yet bureaucracy stays a step ahead without moving.