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From: wilker@gauss.math.purdue.edu (Clarence Wilkerson)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Cable descramblers.
Message-ID: <3123@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>
Date: 30 Dec 90 18:38:42 GMT
References: <40170@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Sender: news@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
Reply-To: wilker@gauss.math.purdue.edu.UUCP (Clarence Wilkerson)
Organization: Purdue University, West Lafayette
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Most of these ads state that the stuff is for "experimental purposes"
or "educational" service only, and have you sign a waiver to that
effect. I suppose there is a fine point here about it's the
possession or the use of the gadget to descramble a signal which
might be illegal.

I have seen newspaper stories from time to time about shops selling
such devices being raided. I personally would not care to be on the
customer list in that case.

The leadin box to the May 1990 Radio-Electronics article on
the Universal Descrambler should give you a good idea of the
legal status.

The arguments of the proponents of cable descramblers seem to
be at best " I paid for a signal to come to my house. What I do
with the signal is my business" . While this may be of moral
comfort to some, I doubt that it has been supported in court.
Clarence
.