Opinion ID: 706981
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Showtime

Text: 12 Allarcom claims that Showtime assisted the piracy of satellite programming by people in Western Canada, in violation of the FCA, 47 U.S.C. Sec. 605(a), by helping those people steal its own STV broadcasts. We conclude that this allegation does not state a claim under the FCA. 13 Sec. 605(a) provides, in pertinent part, 14 No person not being entitled thereto shall receive or assist in receiving any interstate or foreign communication by radio and use such communication (or any information therein contained) for his own benefit or for the benefit of another not entitled thereto. 15 In other words, Sec. 605(a) prohibits a person not entitled to a signal from assisting another's piracy of that signal. Showtime owns its own signal, and is therefore entitled to that signal and does not fall within the subsection's prohibition. 16 Nor can Allarcom rely upon 47 U.S.C. Sec. 605(e)(4) to support its FCA claim. That section provides, in pertinent part, 17 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 is intended for any other activity prohibited by subsection (a) of this section, shall be fined.... 18 Even if we assume that the VC II decoder is a device described in this section, Allarcom has not alleged that Showtime manufactures, assembles, modifies, imports, exports, sells, or distributes that device. 19 Therefore, Allarcom has not stated a claim against Showtime under the FCA. While some other source of law, such as the Canadian law governing Allarcom's exclusive license, may proscribe Showtime's use of its own signal, the FCA does not.