Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!think!nike!ucbcad!ucbvax!brahms!desj From: desj@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (David desJardins) Newsgroups: net.mail Subject: Re: S.2575 Elec Comm Priv Act Message-ID: <15365@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> Date: Thu, 21-Aug-86 17:52:43 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.15365 Posted: Thu Aug 21 17:52:43 1986 Date-Received: Thu, 21-Aug-86 22:42:25 EDT References: <1632@well.UUCP> <1013@hoptoad.uucp> <1170@utastro.UUCP> <1661@well.UUCP> Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: desj@brahms.UUCP (David desJardins) Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 31 Keywords: Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 In article <1661@well.UUCP> tenney@well.UUCP (Glenn S. Tenney) writes: > [...] Be careful, because just reading it you might think "Wow, this >is good for us". You'll have to read it again more carefully to see that >the text EXPLICITLY makes it illegal to receive scrambled or encrypted >signals, or signals carried on a subcarrier, EVEN IF it is otherwise >readily accessible to the general public --- eg. VideoText or closed >captioning!!!!!! This is just the height of absurdity. Obviously no one is going to make closed captioning illegal. What the bill does (and yes, I have read it) is to prohibit the *unauthorized* interception of such trans- missions. Personally, I don't like this provision, but I certainly don't see it as something to panic over. The relevant section of the bill: "(g) It shall not be unlawful under this chapter or chapter 121 of this title for any person-- "(i) to intercept or access an electronic communication made through an electronic communication system that is configured so that such electronic communication is readily accessible to the general public [does not include scrambled/encrypted/subcarrier signals]; "(ii) to intercept any radio communication which is transmitted-- "(I) by any station for the use of the general public, or that relates to ships, aircraft, vehicles, or persons in distress; -- David desJardins