DirecTV Chases O.J. on Alleged Piracy

[Gregg Lengling]

DirecTV's fight against signal piracy has apparently landed "The Juice" in hot water.

According to a court document recently filed by the satellite TV service in U.S. District Court in Miami, DirecTV alleged that football legend O.J. Simpson purchased and used illegally modified access cards and other devices that allowed for illegitimate viewing of the small dish service. The 13-page complaint contained four counts: Unauthorized reception of satellite signals, importation of pirate access devices, unauthorized interception of electronic communications in violation of federal law, and possession of pirate access devices.

The complaint asks the federal court to find the defendant in violation of laws governing satellite signal piracy, and asks for an award of statutory damages totaling $10,000.

Simpson attorney Yale Galanter denied the lawsuit's allegations in a story from the Associated Press. "O.J. Simpson has never owned any pirating equipment, pirating cards, illegal cards," he said. "He's been a loyal, paying customer of DirecTV for years."