DirecTV Lists 80 People in Signal Piracy Suit

DirecTV, the satellite television service owned by Hughes Electronics Corp., said it is suing 80 individuals believed to have sold illegal equipment that gives users access to DirecTV without paying for the service.

DirecTV said a complaint was filed on March 16 in the U.S. district court in Central California.

“This aggressive action, against multiple defendants, underscores our steadfast commitment to protect the integrity of our signal,” said Larry Rissler, vice president of signal integrity for DirecTV.

The individuals named in the suit allegedly imported from Canada pirated access cards and devices to reprogram them, so users could unscramble and view DirecTV programming without legal authorization.