The Sale or Lease of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device crime in the state of Texas makes it illegal to sell or lease a device (or kit for a device) used to gain unauthorized access to a cable network or other information services provider.

Sale or Lease of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device is classified in the Texas Penal Code under Title 7 “Offenses Against Property,” Chapter 31 “Theft.”

Learn more detailed information about the Sale or Lease of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device offense below.

What is the current Texas law about Sale or Lease of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device?

The current Texas law defines the offense of Sale or Lease of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device in Penal Code Section §31.14 as follows:^[1]

(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly sells or leases, 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.

How can I be charged with Sale or Lease of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device?

You can be charged with Sale or Lease of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device if the state’s attorneys believe that each of the elements of 31.14(a) as described in the section above have been met.

What is the punishment for Sale or Lease of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device?

A conviction for Sale or Lease of Multichannel Video or Information Services Device 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. Learn about the differences between grades of felonies and misdemeanors

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Legal References:

^1. Texas Penal Code §31.14^2. Texas Penal Code §31.14(d)