United States Seventh Circuit

In DirecTV's suit against defendants for intercepting encrypted signals from DirecTV's satellite system without authorization and for furnishing devices to assist others to steal the signals, the judgment of the district court is affirmed except with respect to the award of damages against the defendant charged with intercepting DirecTV's signal, which is vacated as, the portion of Rodgers v. Wood, 910 F.2d 444 (7th Cir. 1990), holding that award of the maximum damages specified in section 2520(c)(2) is mandatory is overruled as the district court has discretion not to award statutory damages under the statutory formula.

Appellate Information

• Argued 02/21/2007
• Decided 05/13/2010
• Published 05/13/2010

Judges

• EASTERBROOK, Chief Judge., Before EASTERBROOK, Chief Judge, and FLAUM and SYKES, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Marc Zwillinger, Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, Washington, DC, for Plaintiff-Appellee., Paul B. Overhauser, Overhauser Law Offices, Greenfield, IN, for Defendants-Appellants.