Innovations in technology have enabled homeowners to pirate satellite signals intended for cable television operators through the use of home earth-stations. Section 605 of the Communications Act of 1934, which governs reception of signals, is inadequate to regulate this situation because it appears that publication of received programing outside the home is needed to constitute a violation. Because home stations merely receive, they are legal. Copyright laws might apply in this situation, but piracy constitutes a "fair use" exception by default, because the fact that it is done in the home makes policing it nearly impossible and highly intrusive. Law enforcers cannot know if the home station is tuned to a pay or free channel. Since scrambling of satellite signals is not cost effective, and no law is directly applicable or enforceable, piracy of these signals is effectively legal. (Author/HTH)