If the HW decoding is the keyword and software decoding is "illegal", then I guess duplicating subscription cards should be legal, as long as they are used in STB:s with hardware decoders.
I think SC as a CA module isn't illegal itself, because SC itself isn't sufficient to circumvent content protection (needs keys). But SC might have licensing problems if it uses patented technology to decrypt stream, for example Conax. And from that point it is illegal.
If someone interprets that SC software is illegal because it can be used for emulating CA-module, then also RSA/DES/DSA/... -libraries would become illegal because they also can be used to decrypt the same data.
Its a line drawn in water. Are Magic/Matrix/Joker CAs (what ever there are) illegal? They are ARM-boards, and into it you can load software which emulates multiple CA-systems, and you can insert a valid subscription card. Those fulfill the dedicated hardware part.
Could someone tell which countries have legislation that dictates that CA channels should be decoded in hardware and using software is illegal?
And as we all know valid CA modules are software solutions also.. :-) They just embed StrongArm or similar processor. Of course there might be some card with custom crypto chip existing.
This stuff goes on and goes on. Am I breaking some law because if I watch TV programs via DVI and not via HDCP / HDMI which is required by film studios etc.
Best regards, Jori