lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) (08/04/84)
We've been over this MANY times before. I can't speak for Canadian law, but various legal changes have altered the original meaning of the 1934 Communications in the U.S. to make it illegal to receive "subscription" TV services without paying, period. That old "I can receive whatever I want to" stuff is out the window and reflects the view of people who are either ignorant of current law or are choosing to ignore it. This applies mainly to STV and microwave MDS services. For satellite broadcast, there are OTHER laws involved, since the satellite broadcasts are considered to be common carrier operations in most cases, NOT broadcast services. As such, various "wiretapping" statutes may be used to protect those services in some cases. In any case, it is most definitely illegal to, for example, watch HBO unless you are paying them for the service. And since they won't accept payments from individuals, there is no legal way for you to watch the service directly. Of course, they'll be taking care of that little problem shortly with their DES-based scrambling system. --Lauren--