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DIRECTVDIRECTV® is the nation #1 digital satellite entertainment service. Using the most advanced satellite technology, DIRECTV delivers access to more than 225 channels of television programming to homes and businesses that have proper satellite hardware, including a small satellite dish, a digital set-top receiver, and an access card. DIRECTV offers an incredible selection of movies, sports, music, special events and all your favorite television networks for every member of the family all in the 100% digital-quality picture and sound for which DIRECTV is known. What are access cards? The access card is a plastic card approximately the size of a credit card that is distributed to customers together with the receiving equipment. Software contained in the access cards controls the receipt of DIRECTV programming. When a customer buys a satellite system with an access card from an authorized retailer, the customer is committing to subscribe to DIRECTV programming. After the purchase and installation of the equipment, the customer must contact DIRECTV to choose a programming package and to provide a method of payment. After the customer selects a package, DIRECTV will activate the access card, providing the customer with access to the selected programming and the ability to order and watch pay-per-view events. The access cards contained in the set-top satellite receivers are NON-TRANSFERABLE. What are programmed or "pirate" access cards? Access cards that have been reprogrammed or "pirated" allow people illegally to intercept and decrypt DIRECTV signals and receive television programming without making any payments to DIRECTV. "Reprogramming" is done by illegally modifying the copyrighted software on the card to bypass DIRECTV conditional access system and open all channels of programming, including pay-per-view movies and sports, which are only available legitimately after payment of a subscription or exhibition fee What are bulk virgin access cards? Bulk virgin access cards that is, bulk quantities of access cards that have been stripped from DIRECTV equipment are sold to individuals and/or entities who illegally reprogram and resell them to people seeking unauthorized access to DIRECTV signals. Sales of virgin access cards are in direct violation of the DIRECTV Customer Agreement, which indicates that these cards are non-transferable. Furthermore, there is no legitimate purpose for the bulk sales of access cards except to facilitate satellite piracy. Accordingly, sales of such cards interfere with DIRECTV legitimate business expectation that purchasers of satellite systems will become subscribers of DIRECTV. What are emulators, programmers and blockers? These are all devices that enable people to modify access cards to steal DIRECTV signals without paying for them. An emulator uses the capabilities of personal computers to mimic the functions of an access card. Emulators connect to computers running software that grants unauthorized access to channels. Programmers are devices that reprogram access cards to alter which channels are received. And blockers are devices that block attempts by DIRECTV to keep the integrity of its access cards intact. What are unloopers? Unloopers are devices used to "fix" or unloop pirate access cards that DIRECTV has attempted to diasble.
Why is it illegal to offer to sell, sell and use these cards and devices? Federal and state laws protect satellite transmission providers such as DIRECTV and other copyright holders. Both criminal and civil lawsuits can be brought against violators of these laws. For example, one such law provides civil and criminal penalties for "any person who manufactures, assembles, modifies, imports, exports, sells or distributes any electronic, mechanical, or other device or equipment, knowing or having reason to know that the device or equipment is primarily of assistance in the unauthorized decryption of satellite cable programming, or direct-to-home satellite services." 47 U.S.C. 05(e)(4). Another law, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, prohibits a person from providing any device or service that circumvents a technological measure that effectively controls access to a copyrighted work. 17 U.S.C. 1201. The penalties under these laws are severe and can include fines of up to $200,000 per violation and imprisonment of up to ten years. Is it a crime merely to use these devices? Yes. Users of these devices can face the same consequences as manufacturers and distributors, which can include fines of up to $200,000 per violation and imprisonment up to ten years. Who is really harmed by the sale and use of these cards and devices? Everyone is harmed by the sale and use of these illegal devices. DIRECTV is injured because it does not receive payment by the users of these devices for its television programming and because it subsidizes the manufacturers of DIRECTV receiving equipment based on the legitimate use of these cards. Content providers, such as television networks, motion picture studios, and sports leagues lose revenue when their copyrighted programming is obtained illegally, without payment of a subscription fee to the authorized distributor DIRECTV. Retailers who receive compensation from DIRECTV based on customer subscriptions are also harmed when purchasers do not subscribe. Honest retailers also lose business, which in turn means fewer jobs. The public is deprived of the full benefits of authors and their creations because full copyright protection is an essential incentive for creativity and, without it, authors have less of an incentive to produce quality shows. Widespread piracy also threatens the affordability of satellite programming. The users of DIRECTV are hurt by buying or inheriting substandard or defective merchandise. Finally, pirates who deal in modified access cards or reprogramming devices are often subject to criminal prosecution at the expense of taxpayers. Why was my auction suspended? DIRECTV has the right and legal responsibility to enforce its rights against the unauthorized offer, sale and use of illegal cards and devices. DIRECTV regularly monitors the Internet, including auction sites, in order to address the infringement of its rights. DIRECTV notifies eBay of auctions of unauthorized materials, and eBay follows its established guidelines in dealing with such matters, which includes suspending auctions and terminating repeat violators. What if I say that these devices are being sold only for "educational purposes" or for "testing"? It doesn matter what you "say." There is simply no exception that permits the sale of such devices for educational or testing purposes. What do the terms "H Cards," "BS Cards," and "Invalid HU Cards mean?" Why is their sale prohibited? DIRECTV has issued successive generations of access cards. The current generation of access cards are often called U Cards,and the previous generation are commonly referred to as cards. Sor lack Sundaycards are H cards that were using pirate software code to gain illegal access to DIRECTV programming prior to being disabled by an electronic countermeasure in January of 2001. nvalidH or HU cards (cards that give a lease insert valid access cardmessage when placed in a receiver) are access cards that were previously running pirate software code but have been disabled by electronic countermeasures. DIRECTV no longer activates any H cards, and will not activate invalid HU cards. These cards cannot be used in connection with a legitimate DIRECTV account. Accordingly, the only commercially significant use of H cards is for signal piracy, and the sale of such cards is prohibited. Sales of any access cards by current or former DIRECTV subscribers also violate the DIRECTV Customer Agreement, which indicates that these cards are non-transferable. For legitimate subscribers, purchase of these cards is wholly unnecessary. Indeed, for a small administrative fee, DIRECTV will supply a valid, current access card to any DIRECTV subscriber. Why was my auction cancelled when other auctions just like it have not been cancelled? We attempt to report all infringing auctions that are on ebay when we conduct searches. If we have missed auctions because they were not open at the time we did our searches, we will report them next time we search. Please do not e-mail us just to inform us that we missed an auction. If I have received the new P4 card may I sell it on eBay? The new license agreement specifically prohibits the sale of all P4 cards, and provides DIRECTV with the consent of the user to have auctions of such devices cancelled. Where can I get more information about DIRECTV?
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