Ahouxc.195 net.followup utzoo!decvax!harpo!npois!houxi!houxc!ad7i Tue Apr 27 12:43:56 1982 Watch it... Gifts are everywhere With the recent discussion of Personal Sat Receiving Stations I can't help but submit a letter that was printed in Electronic Design, September 30, 1981 issue. Trespassing signals make great gift ------------------------------------ Regarding unauthorized reception of subscription TV or any other signal: It is obvious that I cannot intercept such a signal unless it impinges on my property. Either the signal belongs to the originator or it does not. If it does not, then the originator has no complaint coming if I do intercept it, and no complaint if I do anything at all further with it. If the originator does complain, he evidently beleives that the signal belongs to him. But then, his signal has impinged on my property without my permission. The signal then must be considered either a trespass or an unsolicited gift. If a trespass, then the signal originator will be respoinsible for removing his signal from my property, something that he would be most unwilling to do: As a trespasser, he presumably is responsible for any damage that his signal might cause. At present, interaction is apparent between the brain and low-level RF signals, but just what this interaction is, has not been determined. The origninator would have to prove that his signals do no harm. This leaves the only possible interpretation: The signal is an unsolicited gift, in which case I have a perfect right to intercept and use the signal. If I have a right to intercept and use the signal, then by logical extension I have the right to purchase equipment to do this. In addition, a supplier has a right to sell me this equipment, since it is not harmful in itself (and is, in fact, the same equipment that the signal originator wants me to pay to use). And some manufacturer has the right, so long as he does not violate patent and trade-secret laws, to make such equipment for the supplier. Which leaves the irate signal with both feet firmly plated in the ether. Yale Jan Lubkin Director of Engineering Ben Franklin Industries, Ltd. Casey Creek, KY 42723 ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.