Invoking the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a federal grand jury has indicted six people on charges of developing software and hardware designed to hack into paid TV satellite transmissions.

The defendants allegedly created software and hardware designed to unscramble transmission signals sent by satellite TV operators, such as DirecTV and Dish Networks, said IDC with the computer crimes section of the U.S. Attorney General's Office for the Central District of California.

The defendants allegedly sold or distributed free software and hardware to hundreds of thousands of people, giving them free access to paid subscription satellite TV services, Spertus said. The satellite TV industry and the Motion Picture Association of America lose millions of dollars from piracy, he noted.

Seventeen defendants were indicted in all, but only six were charged under the criminal antidecryption provisions of the 1998 DMCA. The 11 others were charged with breaking federal laws against conspiracy and manufacturing devices for the purpose of stealing satellite signals. The DMCA-related charges were unsealed Tuesday and marked only the second time a grand jury has issued indictments involving the act.

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"There is massive theft going on, with satellite signal providers as the victims..."

Signal providers as in giant multi-trillion dollar faceless giant corporations that are simpley the vampiric clans that huddle in skyrise penthouse suites and suck the life out of the rest of society.... oh poor them, they are such victims. Those people give a bad name to vampirism......

Maybe if they made satellite more affordable and actually had anything interesting to provide they would get better results, same goes for the RIAA too... maybe people don't want to fill their eyes and ears with the trash that is thrown at us daily.

Scarey part is that satellite (DirecTv) is actually more affordable than my local cable company for the same offerings. Only differnce is that I can't get my local channels since the locals won't give me an exemption
to get netowrk, they would rather I set up a 50ft high antenna on my rental (I'm in a hole)