From: philip@vogon.cetia.fr (Philip Peake)
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
Subject: Re: European Card Swaps
Date: 24 Jul 92 09:10:23 GMT
Reply-To: philip@vogon.cetia.fr (Philip Peake)
Organization: CETIA, France

In article <HOMESAT%92072210011207@VM1.NODAK.EDU>, C0031018@DBSTU1.RZ.TU-BS.DE (Johannes Heyer) writes:
|> 
|> since all the construction schemes for scrambeled ASTRA-Channels I got till
|> now were bogus, a service which could provide me with a working decoder and
|> viewing card would be interesting. But I'm not sure if a private or
|> professional service could operate over a long term.
|> 
|> Has anyone experiences with buying a decoder/viewing card in Great Britain
|> during a stay there and bring the stuff to your own country? What about
|> monthly payment, new viewing cards, broken decoders etc.?

I bought a decoder in England (GBP 90, second-hand available for < 50).
I paid a one year subscription by VISA (using my French VISA card - the
country of origin is easy to determine from the card number, should they
*really* be interested in doing so).

I gave my mother's address in England. The card arrived within a few days,
so I was able to come back TO France with card and decoder.

Theoretically, they send you a new card every month.
In practice, they re-validate it over the air.
They did change ALL cards a few months ago - which can only lead one to believe
that someone had broken the encryption scheme ...

The new card went to my mother, who forwarded it to me.

|> 
|> Does anyone know the EC-laws good enough to second Harald's remark,
|> that from January 1993 on it would be legal to buy a Skydecoder no
|> difference from what EC country you are?

There is NOTHING illegal about buying one.
Sky regularly try circulating scare stories - one current when I bought
my decoder was that Sky and British customs were co-operating to stop
the "illegal" exportation of decoders, and IRDs.

"What Satellite" seems to delight in reporting and spreading these
rumours.

If you wanted to push it, the existing Treaty of Rome is enough to
give you the right to buy and use a decoder anywhere in the EEC.

The *real* problem are the contracts signed by TV companies with
film (and other program) distributors, which impose geographic
restrictions on the viewing area.

These contracts are theoretically void, since they contravene EEC law.

The EC is being somewhat lenient, in giving the TV companies and program
distributors until the end of the year to get their act together and conform
to the law. Neither is really happy - the distributors because it will
stop their rip-off tactics, and the TV companies because they will
have to handle subscriptions from all over europe - and that will cost
them money.

To ensure that pressure groups don't change the mind of the EC, or
get another extension - write to the EC (Sir Leon Brittain) and ask
that the current situation be cleared up as soon as possible.

The more letters they receive, the better the chances that they will
react quickly.

You can *try* calling Sky from outside the UK and insisting - they
will almost certainly refuse to supply you - your only recourse then is
to take them to court. If enough people were willing to put in a few
Francs/Kroner/Marks/Pounds/etc to run such a case, the results might
be interresting - remember, they are banking on the idea that no one
individual will feel agrieved enough to go through the inconvenience
and cost of taking them to the European Court.

Another possibility might be to approach your countrie's consumer
association, and try to interest them in persuing the matter.

I would definately be interested in persuing this myself, but since
I am moving to the USA at the end of the month ....

Philip