Hi Dan!
Sunday February 02 1997 10:58, Dan Cooper wrote to Jonathan Hunter:
 JH>> However, it is ILLEGAL to listen in on such calls (although I know
 JH>> that doesn't stop people doing it),
 DC> Oh dear, this is VERY UNTRUE. It is perfectly LEGAL to listen to ANY
 DC> radio frequency, even the police. The only rule is, when you are
 DC> listening to any emergency service, you are not allowed to act upon
 DC> the information recieved.
Dan, as you're posting from a UK address I'll assume UK law. You are very
wrong. The Wireless Telegraphy Acts make it an offence to receive any 
broadcast
that you do not have a license to receive, and a serious offence to take any
action whatsoever based on the received broadcast. Note that neither the 
primary
offence of reception, nor the more serious offence of acting upon the 
reception,
actually require that you demodulate and listen to or in any other way make 
use
of the received signal. It might even be argued in court that demodulating 
he
received signal into a human-understandable form was "taking action".
In addition, the Interception Of Communication Act creates specific offences
relating to the unauthorised listening in on telephone conversations.
Please do not attempt to give out legal advice unless you are conversant with
the legislation concerned.
Regards
Denis
denis@pickaxe.demon.co.uk dmcmahon@edlgu4.ericsson.se
http://www.pickaxe.demon.co.uk/
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