Awe13.224 net.general utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!lime!we13!prg Thu Apr 22 09:24:09 1982 Watch it!!! The following article was submitted to the "we" net, and by popular demand is being posted to this news group. I truly have to wonder where Mr. Wirths mind (and pocket book) are at. The following is quoted from the May issue of Video magazine. "The question of home satellite reception -- viewing, not recording -- is attracting attention from the House Telecommunications Subcommittee chaired by Timothy Wirth (D-Col.). It is here that our legal right to enjoy the airwaves is not doing so well. Wirth has co-sponsored House Bill H.R.4727 with Henry Waxman (D-Cal.) to provide stiff criminal and civil penalties, up to a $50,000 fine and two years in prison, for unauthorized reception "of any radio transmissions" unless they are intended "for use by the general public." As submitted, H.R.4727 would be a new clause to section 605 of the Communications Act. It would allow courts to hear evidence and award "full damages." If the program owner or distributor decided not to press for damages, courts could still award damages of between $250 and $10,000 on their own initiative. A court could even assess a fine of $100 for proven violations on persons unaware that they broke the law in either distributing or receiving an unauthorized program. And a willful violation by someone not seeking financial gain could bring a fine of up to $1000 and six months in jail." I'm glad the "Ralph Nader" of the telecommunications industry is watching out for us! Think I'll get some black-out curtains to hang in my living room just in case he peeks in the window. =Phil Gunsul= lime!we13 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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.