[knews_hound]

I have been waiting for your return to this thread my Red Shirted friend,

You have come to what is to me, the crux of this matter.

Lets us suppose that it is 1965, and a broadcaster has teamed up with a manufacturer and has determined that by shifting to a lower part of the AM Band, they can sell their brand of radios that will be the only ones to pick up a certain station that is particularly inviting.

This modification is a simple one, but the partners determine that they can make a mint on it.

Hobbiests and others figure out a way to cheaply and easily convert a standard radio to be able to listen to the station also. Eventually, almost anyone with moderate soldering skills can do it.

Leaving behind the FCC regulations this would break, I have to ask the question...

Are all these people Criminals?

Nice to see you as always, I look forward to seeing you at the Doins.

Cheers,

knews hound

[clamper1797]

What say the brethren ... did you get my private message about calling on the landline about the doin's ???

[clamper1797]

To answer you question ... I would say that it was the broadcasters job to prevent any none paying customer from recieving the signal. i think it UNETHICAL for private commercial industry to PIRATE the public bands for profit.

[js1138]

All of you are ignoring a simple rule of law, that it is illegal -- the equivalent of wiretapping -- to decrypt someone elses communication without their knowledge or permission. Anyone with skill or resources could intercept and decrypt all kinds of communication -- over the airwaves or over the internet. Making this illegal makes commerce possible. There is no chance that this will change.

Not to mention that stealing is stealing, regardless of how pretty you paint its face.