labelle@hplabsc.UUCP (WB6YZZ La Belle) (08/20/84)
In the S.F. bay area, Premier Channel is attempting to eliminate
the unsubscribed reception of their HBO broadcasts via the MDS
service. (2152 MHz) They hired college students to drive all over
the bay area looking for "suspicious" antennas, writing down the
address, and sending these people (~18,000) a letter saying-
1) Take down your antenna.
2) Sign this form agreeing never to put it back up.
3) Send $300.00 as an "out of court settlement"
or be added to litigation for damages in excess of $1000.00.
Amateurs who contact the law firm sending the letters (addressed
from a P.O. box, but postmarked from another city) are removed
from any litigation.
The reason is that the grounds for the suit are based on section
605 of the Communications Act of 1934 which say it is illegal to
receive private communications without authorization. In 1982
president Reagan signed a bill which, among other things, exempted
radio amateurs from that (605) section of the act obstensibly to
enable amateurs to police their own bands.
GEORGE (WB6YZZ) hplabsc!labelle