Asri-unix.1370 net.followup utzoo!decvax!cca!knutsen@sri-unix Thu Apr 29 12:38:58 1982 Are gifts everywhere? (from arpanaut) Date: Thursday, 29 April 1982 09:22-PDT From: KING at KESTREL Subject: comments on the "satellite signals are giftf" argument to: Knutsen at sri-unix, info-law at mit-mc cc: King at KESTREL Via: Kestrel.ArpaNet; 29 Apr 82 9:33-PDT The argument that a satellite signal falling on your property is either trespass or a gift is appealing, but I see some logical flaws. First, the broadcaster of the signal may not own the copyright. The broadcaster is probably a satellite company; the owner of the copyright may well be some small cable company. Second, I don't know but I would rather assume that there have been findings that a radio signal is not trespass. If a publisher leaves a book on your property, you may keep the book, give it away, or demand its removal by the publisher, but you can't photo-offset it and start making copies. Similarly, if a signal falls on your property you can "keep" it (whatever that means), give it away (with a reflector), or file a civil suit if you can show damage. (I'm not sure courts would require more evidence of harmlessness of nanowatt-per-square-meter signals then is now available.) However, you may not (depending on applicable law) be legally able to duplicate it. Courts have held that reading a program into a computer to execute it is duplication and is copied by copyright laws. I don't know about "reading" a program into a television set for viewing. Does anyone know why encryption isn't routinely used on these signals? By the way, I remember reading about a case in which a person living near a powerful radio station had set up an induction coil (enourmous - the signal strength wasn't that large) to tap the power of the signal and avoid using the electric company. When what he had done came to light, it was held that he couldn't. I don't remember details. ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.