NewCardDude
06-16-2004, 06:26 AM
DirecTV loses appeals court's ruling
A federal appeals court Tuesday affirmed a lower court's finding that satellite-television provider DirecTV could not sue a Florida man for simply possessing equipment that could be used to pirate its signals.
The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta upheld the ruling of a Florida federal judge who dismissed a complaint against Mike Treworgy, who purchased two devices from a California mail-order company.
The devices are commonly used to bypass anti-piracy technology in set-top boxes and allow the user to receive the satellite signal at no cost.
Treworgy moved to dismiss the complaint on the grounds that the federal Wiretap Act did not create a private right of action against a person for merely possessing such a device.
The case will be remanded to district court, where the case will proceed on other charges that Treworgy used the devices to pirate the DirecTV signal.
In a separate matter Tuesday, DirecTV agreed to modify an aggressive campaign it has been waging against people who bought devices capable of pirating its signal.
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From the Associated Press and Bloomberg News
A federal appeals court Tuesday affirmed a lower court's finding that satellite-television provider DirecTV could not sue a Florida man for simply possessing equipment that could be used to pirate its signals.
The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta upheld the ruling of a Florida federal judge who dismissed a complaint against Mike Treworgy, who purchased two devices from a California mail-order company.
The devices are commonly used to bypass anti-piracy technology in set-top boxes and allow the user to receive the satellite signal at no cost.
Treworgy moved to dismiss the complaint on the grounds that the federal Wiretap Act did not create a private right of action against a person for merely possessing such a device.
The case will be remanded to district court, where the case will proceed on other charges that Treworgy used the devices to pirate the DirecTV signal.
In a separate matter Tuesday, DirecTV agreed to modify an aggressive campaign it has been waging against people who bought devices capable of pirating its signal.
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From the Associated Press and Bloomberg News