Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version VT3.3 7/21/84; site vortex.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!amd!decwrl!decvax!vortex!lauren From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) Newsgroups: net.tv,net.legal Subject: Re: Satellite dish cleanup : Technical Practicalities Message-ID: <385@vortex.UUCP> Date: Thu, 23-Aug-84 00:03:05 EDT Article-I.D.: vortex.385 Posted: Thu Aug 23 00:03:05 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 19-Aug-84 03:27:12 EDT References: <705@security.uucp> Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles Lines: 29 Simply saying "signals must be encrypted if they are to be considered protected by law" doesn't make much sense. HOW encrypted? Short of extremely expensive systems (some now in use, but generally far too expensive for homes) nearly any system could be cracked given enough time, which would force escalation to ever more expensive and complex systems. This would all have to be paid for by the subscribers, all to protect the "idea rights" of the transmissions from a bunch of people who feel "they" are better than everyone else and don't need to pay for what everyone else pays for. However, the bottom line is much more basic. In our society, we have laws to provide certain protections and penalties. If a burglar came through your house and stole your TV and was caught carrying it off, would the case be dismissed if you had not locked your house securely? If a thief takes your car because you left the keys inside, and is caught, does he get to keep the car because you (stupidly to be sure) left your keys in there? If you're mugged on the street, is a valid defense for the mugger in court that you didn't make an adequate effort to defend yourself? OF COURSE NOT. Of course, it would have been better in all these cases if the crooks didn't have such an easy time, but that doesn't change the fact that idea, property, and personal rights are protected by law in any case. The idea rights of the programming on cable and radio transmission systems are certainly worth the same protections as we would give any more "physical" items. It is silly to say that something cannot be protected simply because "you can't touch it." --Lauren--