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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!GRUPP@MIT-MC.ARPA
From: GRUPP@MIT-MC.ARPA (Paul R. Grupp)
Newsgroups: net.ham-radio
Subject: Loss of fredom in communications!
Message-ID: <1040@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 28-Aug-85 05:49:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.1040
Posted: Wed Aug 28 05:49:25 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Aug-85 00:48:54 EDT
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
Lines: 28

I thought this would be of interest to all...
-----forwarded message starts here-----
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 85 20:52:54 EDT
From: Keith F. Lynch <KFL at MIT-MC.ARPA>
To:   Security at RUTGERS.ARPA
Re:   Watching TV

  I don't know if anyone noticed, but a few weeks ago the Supreme Court
threw away a right that Americans have had since day one.
  It has always been the case that everyone had the right to receive any
signal being transmitted on any frequency using any kind of receiver.  You
didn't always have the right to do whatever you wanted with these signals,
such as tell anyone about them, but you could always listen to them (or
watch them) alone in the privacy of your home.
  But now the court has ruled that people are breaking the law if they
watch sattelite TV that is intended to be charged for, even if it not
scrambled.
  Comments?
								...Keith
-----end of forwarded message-----
I was struck with horror and disbelief after reading this message.  The
implications of this ruling set the way for making it a crime to monitor
radio signals unless the sender gives express permission to do so.  I
suppose this could lead to making it a crime to even own certain receiving
equipment!  I've seen this in other countries but NEVER thought it would
happin here in FREE AMERICA!

-Paul