Dueling with Air-Wave Pirates

Like many U.S. firms that transmit pay-TV programs to home microwave antennas, Premier Communications Network in the San Francisco area has a serious problem. For a monthly fee of $21.95, the company lends the receivers that allow TV sets to pick up its high-frequency, over-the-air signals. But people can buy similar equipment in electronics shops for about $100 to watch the programs free of charge.

In June Premier fought back by hiring Ray Conley, a Des Moines lawyer who specializes in catching airwave pirates. Conley searched for microwave antennas whose style differed from those issued by Premier and then used an electronic device to find out which ones were receiving Premier's signals.

Premier then threatened the homeowners with legal action if they did not pay a $300 fee. In response, a group of about 1,200 of the alleged pirates hired the firm of Melvin Belli, the famed attorney whose clients have included Errol Flynn, Mae West and Jack Ruby, to sue the company for invasion of privacy and extortion. Last week Premier filed its own suit against 6,902 people for intercepting its programs. The cases could set precedents for future legal duels between pay-TV companies and air pirates.