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

The Texas Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device law makes it illegal to manufacture, distribute, import, export or advertise a device (or kit for a device) used to gain unauthorized access to a cable network or other information services provider.

The Texas legislature codified this criminal offense in Texas Penal Code Section 31.13. The legislature did not update this law in 2025. In fact, this law has not been amended since 1999.

The Penal Code classifies the Texas Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device law under Title 7 “Offenses Against Property,” Chapter 31 “Theft.” Learn more about the Texas offense of Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device below.

What is the current Texas law about Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device?

AV Preeminent Texas lawyer Paul Saputo provides the current law defining Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device in Penal Code Section §31.13, as follows:^[1]

(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.

What is the penalty for a Texas Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device offense?

A conviction for Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device in Texas is punished as a Class A misdemeanor,^[2] with a maximum possible fine under Texas state law of up to $4,000 and jail time of up to one year.

How can I be charged with a Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device offense in Texas?

You can be charged with Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device in Texas if the state’s attorneys believe that each of the elements of §31.13(a) as described in the section above have been met.

What is the statute of limitations for Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device in Texas?

As a misdemeanor, Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device charges have a two-year limitations period.^[3]

Can you get probation for Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device in Texas?

The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure allows both judges and juries to grant probation for Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device, and judges are also allowed to accept deferred adjudication plea deals.^[4]

What level of crime is Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device in Texas?

The Penal Code classifies the punishment for Manufacture, Distribution, or Advertisement of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device as a Class A misdemeanor.

Learn more about the penalty range for this offense in the section above.

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Legal References:

^1. Texas Penal Code §31.13. This law is current as of 2025.^2. Texas Penal Code §31.13(d)

^3. See Code of Criminal Procedure 12.02(a)^4. See Chapter 42A, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Art. 42A.054, Art. 42A.056, Art. 42A.102