NewCardDude
06-08-2004, 02:22 AM
A satellite TV provider has filed a federal civil suit against a Bonita Springs man accusing him of buying devices that allow him to illegally receive the TV channels without paying for them.
DIRECTV filed suit in U.S.
District Court in Fort Myers, ac cusing Anthony DiBruno of buying four pirate access cards between Oct. 2, 1997, and May 26, 1998, when he lived in New Jersey, according to a copy of the suit filed May 27.
DIRECTV officials learned of DiBruno's purchase when Rigaud, Quebec, resident Reginald Scullion's business records were confiscated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Novem ber 2002, according to the suit and Robert Mercer, DIRECTV director of public relations. Scullion ran the businesses Avantec and Vcipher Technologies, which authorities said made illegal devices that intercept satellite TV signals and stream them into users' homes for free.
Federal law prohibits making, owning or selling the devices, Mercer said. Residents caught in possession of these devices can be fined up to $10,000 per device, Mercer said, and up to $100,000 per device if residents sell them to others.
DIRECTV alleges that the 61-year-old DiBruno bought four devices, meaning he may face fines of up to $40,000.
DiBruno could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
DIRECTV executives want to send a message by filing these suits, Mercer said.
"You will not steal DIRECTV signals" without punishment, he said.
The company has filed more than 24,000 such lawsuits across the country in almost two years, after receiving evidence that about 100,000 people throughout the nation have acquired some sort of pirate-access devices, Mercer said.
The suits are meant to make those targeted serve as examples and to educate the public that stealing satellite TV signals without paying for the channels is illegal, Mercer said.
"It's theft," he said. "If we have to go to court to get this resolved we will. What we hope to do is settle with these folks before we take them to trial."
DIRECTV provides 225 digital cable TV channels. Mercer said the old cards that were used legally to stream satellite channels to residents' homes were often pirated and as of April are inactive. The new cards still are being distributed, he added.
"The new card is much more technically sophisticated and has not to our knowledge been hacked," Mercer said.
DiBruno is joined by a famous former football player and actor as targets of these suits. A similar lawsuit was filed in February against O.J. Simpson for $20,850, Mercer said. That suit alleges that Simpson had two pirating devices
DIRECTV filed suit in U.S.
District Court in Fort Myers, ac cusing Anthony DiBruno of buying four pirate access cards between Oct. 2, 1997, and May 26, 1998, when he lived in New Jersey, according to a copy of the suit filed May 27.
DIRECTV officials learned of DiBruno's purchase when Rigaud, Quebec, resident Reginald Scullion's business records were confiscated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Novem ber 2002, according to the suit and Robert Mercer, DIRECTV director of public relations. Scullion ran the businesses Avantec and Vcipher Technologies, which authorities said made illegal devices that intercept satellite TV signals and stream them into users' homes for free.
Federal law prohibits making, owning or selling the devices, Mercer said. Residents caught in possession of these devices can be fined up to $10,000 per device, Mercer said, and up to $100,000 per device if residents sell them to others.
DIRECTV alleges that the 61-year-old DiBruno bought four devices, meaning he may face fines of up to $40,000.
DiBruno could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
DIRECTV executives want to send a message by filing these suits, Mercer said.
"You will not steal DIRECTV signals" without punishment, he said.
The company has filed more than 24,000 such lawsuits across the country in almost two years, after receiving evidence that about 100,000 people throughout the nation have acquired some sort of pirate-access devices, Mercer said.
The suits are meant to make those targeted serve as examples and to educate the public that stealing satellite TV signals without paying for the channels is illegal, Mercer said.
"It's theft," he said. "If we have to go to court to get this resolved we will. What we hope to do is settle with these folks before we take them to trial."
DIRECTV provides 225 digital cable TV channels. Mercer said the old cards that were used legally to stream satellite channels to residents' homes were often pirated and as of April are inactive. The new cards still are being distributed, he added.
"The new card is much more technically sophisticated and has not to our knowledge been hacked," Mercer said.
DiBruno is joined by a famous former football player and actor as targets of these suits. A similar lawsuit was filed in February against O.J. Simpson for $20,850, Mercer said. That suit alleges that Simpson had two pirating devices