Pubdate: Fri, 09 May 2003
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Copyright: 2003, The Tribune Co.
Contact: http://tampatrib.com/opinion/lettertotheeditor.htm
Website: http://www.tampatrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446
Note: Limit LTEs to 150 words
Author: Will Rodgers

BILL BACKERS LINK DRUGS, CABLE THEFT

TAMPA - What do illegal access to cable service and the drug trade have to 
do  with each other?

Plenty, say those who recently pushed a bill through the Florida 
Legislature to  further safeguard the cable industry against piracy.

Officials say cable operators lose $350 million every year in Florida, and 
the state  loses $30 million to $40 million in taxes because of cable theft.

And Rep. Dave Murzin, R-Pensacola, co-sponsor of House Bill 79, said 
authorities  have frequently recovered narcotics and guns during raids on 
stash sites for lifted  cable boxes, descramblers and other equipment used 
to illegally receive and  transmit cable signals.

Charlie Dudley, general counsel of the Florida Cable Telecommunications 
Association, said many people pirating programming are part of the drug 
trade,  too.

"One of the things they do to launder their [drug] money is sell cable 
descramblers," he said.

The arguments seem to substantiate the need for cracking down.

But some in the technology, electronics and telecommunications industry say 
the  broadness of the legislation could have a negative effect on their 
businesses.

On its Web site, the Consumer Electronics Association, which promotes 
technology, says legislation such as House Bill 79 that passed May 2 is 
being  pushed by the Motion Picture Association of America and is 
"over-reaching" and  "ill-considered."

The legislation, which addresses mainly hijacking cable signals, raises 
such a  crime from a misdemeanor to a felony, imposing stiffer penalties.

But the pending law also provides a broad definition for "communication 
devices"  that might be used fraudulently to receive or transmit "any 
communications  service."

Dudley said the rules had to be written broadly to encompass all types of 
communication, no matter the medium. But the law applies only to those 
breaking  it.

Bill opponents say the legislation, as written, could discourage people 
from purchasing modems, cable boxes and other communications equipment, 
fearing they might be targeted as criminals.

Bob Elek, spokesman for Verizon, said the company is against any law that 
might  keep people from purchasing broadband access to the Internet. He 
said the  Florida bill is another from across the nation that is open to 
interpretation and  could pose problems.

"All of them have a dampening effect on the consumer's willingness to 
embrace  broadband and use it for all its capabilities," Elek said.
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MAP posted-by: Alex