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From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.dcom
Subject: Re: CNN on your TVRO
Message-ID: <848@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 23-Oct-85 13:10:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.848
Posted: Wed Oct 23 13:10:25 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Oct-85 08:08:11 EDT
References: <316@ccivax.UUCP>
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 22

The CNN TVRO subscription ad is being misquoted.  They don't say it
is illegal to receive the services if they're going to be resold
by the receiver (such resale has pretty much always been illegal except
under license and isn't what they're talking about).  What they DO
say is that the new cable law that Congress passed makes it illegal
to receive the (scrambled or unscrambled) satellite services without
paying appropriate fees WHEN THE SERVICE PROVIDER IS OFFERING THE END USER
THE ABILITY TO PAY FOR THAT SERVICE (that is, when the SERVICE PROVIDER
is offering the service for sale to individual TVRO owners).

In other words, you can legally receive (for free) unscrambled
general broadcast services if the service provider refused to
let you pay for the service ("We don't want to deal with individuals.")
Until recently, this was often the case.  But as soon as they
say, "OK, we'll deal with you--pay us N dollars," you can no longer
legally receive the stuff for free.  They have to (supposedly) also
meet certain requirements about the fairness of the fee they charge,
etc.

Don't blame me--I didn't write this law.

--Lauren--