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Contributors to this thread might like to take a careful look at
RIPA s 2(1) which provides some definitions and addresses the issue
of jurisidiction claimed by the UK courts: <br>
<br>
“public telecommunications service” means any<br>
telecommunications service which is offered or provided to, or<br>
to a substantial section of, the public in any one or more parts<br>
of the United Kingdom;<br>
“public telecommunication system” means any such parts of a<br>
telecommunication system by means of which any public<br>
telecommunications service is provided as are located in the<br>
United Kingdom;<br>
“telecommunications service” means any service that consists in the<br>
provision of access to, and of facilities for making use of, any<br>
telecommunication system (whether or not one provided by the<br>
person providing the service); and<br>
“telecommunication system” means any system (including the<br>
apparatus comprised in it) which exists (whether wholly or<br>
partly in the United Kingdom or elsewhere) for the purpose of<br>
facilitating the transmission of communications by any means<br>
involving the use of electrical or electro-magnetic energy.<br>
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<p>and then s 2(4) and (5):</p>
<p><br>
(2) For the purposes of this Act, but subject to the following
provisions<br>
of this section, a person intercepts a communication in the course
of its<br>
transmission by means of a telecommunication system if, and only
if,he—<br>
(a) so modifies or interferes with the system, or its operation,<br>
(b) so monitors transmissions made by means of the system, or<br>
(c) so monitors transmissions made by wireless telegraphy to or<br>
from apparatus comprised in the system,<br>
as to make some or all of the contents of the communication
available,<br>
while being transmitted, to a person other than the sender or
intended<br>
recipient of the communication.<br>
(3) References in this Act to the interception of a communication
do<br>
not include references to the interception of any communication<br>
broadcast for general reception.<br>
(4) For the purposes of this Act the interception of a
communication<br>
takes place in the United Kingdom if, and only if, the
modification,<br>
interference or monitoring or, in the case of a postal item, the
interception<br>
is effected by conduct within the United Kingdom and the<br>
communication is either—<br>
(a) intercepted in the course of its transmission by means of a
public<br>
postal service or public telecommunication system; or<br>
(b) intercepted in the course of its transmission by means of a
private<br>
telecommunication system in a case in which the sender or<br>
intended recipient of the communication is in the United<br>
Kingdom.<br>
(5) References in this Act to the interception of a communication
in the<br>
course of its transmission by means of a postal service or<br>
telecommunication system do not include references to—<br>
(a) any conduct that takes place in relation only to so much of
the<br>
communication as consists in any traffic data comprised in or<br>
attached to a communication (whether by the sender or<br>
otherwise) for the purposes of any postal service or<br>
telecommunication system by means of which it is being or may<br>
be transmitted; or<br>
(b) any such conduct, in connection with conduct falling within<br>
paragraph (a), as gives a person who is neither the sender nor<br>
the intended recipient only so much access to a communication<br>
as is necessary for the purpose<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>The issue is where the interception or monitoring takes place<br>
</p>
<p>Peter Sommer<br>
</p>
<br>
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