"The test is not the appearance of the appliance, but its practical use."
Today the Supreme Court determined that a computer which can receive television broadcasts, requires payment of television fees according to the Broadcasting Authority Law. The Israel Broadcasting Authority filed an appeal against Giora Shor.
Shor connected a VCR to a computer screen, which enabled receipt of television broadcasts by converting the electronic signals into image and sound. The Israel Broadcasting authority demanded Shor pay the television fee, having determined that he could watch television in this manner.
Shor petitioned magistrates’ court, which rejected the petition. The magistrates’ judged that legislative intent was to charge anyone the television fee who had a television or accessories able to receive and watch television broadcasts, and therefore, the computer in this case was defined as a "television receiver", and required payment of the television fee.
In the judgment, the court noted "the test is not the appearance of the appliance, but its practical use." In other words, a computer functioning as a television shall be judged a television and its user must pay the appropriate fees.