Legal Or Not

RINGMEUP · 20-09-2004, 15:02

Is it legal for an ex Telewest engineer to buy and chip analouge box,s and sell them to other people.

Nemesis · 20-09-2004, 15:04

In a word .... No ....

Welcome

RINGMEUP · 20-09-2004, 15:07

explain why not

**Chris** · 20-09-2004, 15:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by RINGMEUP

explain why

I'm not at all certain that it is illegal - did subscribers not have to buy their own analogue boxes (unlike now, where the digital box is supplied by, and remains the property of, the cableco)?

If the box is privately owned, it is legal for a tech to do whatever he likes with it. On the other hand, if he was making a living out of buying, chipping and selling the boxes on, and the purpose of the modification was demonstrably to allow a user to get cable TV without paying for it, then you could possibly make a case against him for conspiracy to steal.

It would still be a breach of terms and conditions to connect a modded box to the network though, and also illegal if the mod allowed a user to get programming without paying for it.

paulyoung666 · 20-09-2004, 15:15

any chance you could 'flesh this out for us' , something dont feel right

**Chris** · 20-09-2004, 15:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulyoung666

any chance you could 'flesh this out for us' , something dont feel right

lol, whatever gave you that idea

RINGMEUP · 20-09-2004, 15:21

Thanks for that.

paulyoung666 · 20-09-2004, 15:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by RINGMEUP

Thanks for that.

thanks for what

**Chris** · 20-09-2004, 15:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by RINGMEUP

Thanks for that.

You are a man of few words. Are you selling chipped Telewest analogue boxes by any chance?

**Paul** · 20-09-2004, 15:26

/smells something fishy ......

**Mick** · 20-09-2004, 16:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulyoung666

thanks for what

For answering his question. I do not see anything fishy in someone asking a perfectly legit question and then thanking those who provided the answer.

**Maggy** · 20-09-2004, 16:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

/smells something fishy ......

I don't think so.

Because if you note he had a mad smiley at the end of his first question.I suspect he has found someone doing it and has or is going to challenge them about it but just wanted to know what was the facts first.

Being as he seems a man of few words he may possibly be a man of action too so maybe he intends doing something practical.

Hope he comes back to tell a tale.

**Mick** · 20-09-2004, 16:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Incognitas

I don't think so.

Because if you note he had a mad smiley at the end of his first question.I suspect he has found someone doing it and has or is going to challenge them about it but just wanted to know what was the facts first.

Precisely what I was thinking.

SMHarman · 20-09-2004, 17:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by RINGMEUP

explain why not

Well the owner of the box is TeleWest, not the owner of the property it is installed in, and I'm sure he is not writing his cheques out to TeleWest when he buys them.

Modding the boxes, well you can do what you like to your own property, but as Chris T points out

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

It would still be a breach of terms and conditions to connect a modded box to the network though, and also illegal if the mod allowed a user to get programming without paying for it.

But that would be the end user who connected it not the modder.

So if he can buy them legally (unlikely IMHO), he can mod them, but the end user cannot connect them and he should sell them with a disclaimer stating that thier use may be illegal (bit like they used to have to do on radar detectors).