Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
I think that you are mixing two very different legal issues with regards to the broadcast industry. The first issue is the thief of signal issue, i.e. getting decoders to receive satellite or cable signal you didn't pay for. This is no different than taping into a power line, or water main.
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Very respect, it's
very different.
If you tap into a power line or water main you are taking away a limited physical resource. Every litre of water that you take is 1 litre less for other people.
If you build an "unauthorised" receiver for electromagnetic signals broadcast from a satellite, you aren't taking anything away from anyone else. That is a situation precisely analogous to book piracy - you're taking something without paying for it, but you're not taking it away from other people. Of course that doesn't mean that it's not "wrong", but it is different from taking water or electricity.