Texas Penal Code 31.13 – Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device

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Texas Penal Code 31.13 – Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device

WHAT IS MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION, OR ADVERTISEMENT OF MULTICHANNEL VIDEO OR INFORMATION SERVICES DEVICE IN TEXAS?

The law against manufacturing, distributing, or advertising for a multichannel video or information services device prohibits advertising and offering to sell any device, plan, or kit to aid in the theft of streaming services or cable television.

Texas Penal Code 31.13 – Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device

WHAT IS THE MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION, OR ADVERTISEMENT OF MULTICHANNEL VIDEO OR INFORMATION SERVICES DEVICE LAW IN TEXAS?

Tex. Penal Code § 31.13. MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION, OR ADVERTISEMENT OF MULTICHANNEL VIDEO OR INFORMATION SERVICES DEVICE.

(a) A person commits an offense if the person for remuneration intentionally or knowingly manufactures, assembles, modifies, imports into the state, exports out of the state, distributes, advertises, or offers for sale, with an intent to aid in the commission of an offense under Section 31.12, a device, a kit or part for a device, or a plan for a system of components wholly or partly designed to make intelligible an encrypted, encoded, scrambled, or other nonstandard signal carried or caused by a multichannel video or information services provider.

. . .

(c) This section does not prohibit the manufacture, distribution, advertisement, offer for sale, or use of satellite receiving antennas that are otherwise permitted by state or federal law.

(d) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

WHAT IS THE PENALTY CLASS FOR MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION, OR ADVERTISEMENT OF MULTICHANNEL VIDEO OR INFORMATION SERVICES DEVICE IN TEXAS?

Manufacturing, distributing, or advertising for a multichannel or information services device is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in county jail.

WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT RANGE FOR MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION, OR ADVERTISEMENT OF MULTICHANNEL VIDEO OR INFORMATION SERVICES DEVICE IN TEXAS?

Manufacturing, distributing, or advertising for a multichannel or information services device carries up to one year in jail, and up to a $4,000 fine.

WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES FOR MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION, OR ADVERTISEMENT OF MULTICHANNEL VIDEO OR INFORMATION SERVICES DEVICE IN TEXAS?

A person charged with manufacturing, distributing, or advertising for a multichannel video or information services device may be placed on probation after a conviction, or deferred adjudication without a conviction, for up to two years.

WHAT ARE THE DEFENSES TO MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION, OR ADVERTISEMENT OF MULTICHANNEL VIDEO OR INFORMATION SERVICES DEVICE IN TEXAS?

The statute does not authorize specific defenses to manufacturing, distributing, or advertising multichannel video or information services devices. A person accused thereof may assert any defense in an attempt to negate at least one of the elements the State must prove at trial. For example, an accused may argue he or she lacked the requisite knowledge or intent to commit the offense.

WHAT IS THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION, OR ADVERTISEMENT OF MULTICHANNEL VIDEO OR INFORMATION SERVICES DEVICE IN TEXAS?

The limitation period for manufacturing, distributing, or advertising for multichannel video or information services devices, a Class A misdemeanor, is two years.

MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION, OR ADVERTISEMENT OF MULTICHANNEL VIDEO OR INFORMATION SERVICES DEVICE IN TEXAS

In addition to criminalizing theft of multichannel video or information services, the Legislature added an offense for making and selling the equipment to facilitate stealing cable television and streaming services.

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Trey Porter

Trey Porter is one of the highest-rated criminal defense attorneys in Texas. Nationally recognized, Mr. Porter relentlessly fights to protect and assert his clients’ constitutional rights in and out of courtrooms across the state.

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