Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs - 47 USC Section 13

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01/19/04

Sec. 13. Violations; punishment; action for damages

      Any officer or agent of said railroad or telegraph companies, or
    of any company operating the railroads and telegraph lines of said
    companies, who shall refuse or fail to operate the telegraph lines
    of said railroad or telegraph companies under his control, or which
    he is engaged in operating, in the manner herein directed, or who
    shall refuse or fail, in such operation and use, to afford and
    secure to the Government and the public equal facilities, or to
    secure to each of said connecting telegraph lines equal advantages
    and facilities in the interchange of business, as herein provided
    for, without any discrimination whatever for or adverse to the
    telegraph line of any or either of said connecting companies, or
    shall refuse to abide by or perform and carry out within a
    reasonable time the order or orders of the Federal Communications
    Commission, shall in every such case of refusal or failure be
    guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction thereof, shall in every
    such case be fined in a sum of not exceeding $1,000, and may be
    imprisoned not less than six months; and in every such case of
    refusal or failure the party aggrieved may not only cause the
    officer or agent guilty thereof to be prosecuted under the
    provisions of this section, but may also bring an action for the
    damages sustained thereby against the company whose officer or
    agent may be guilty thereof, in the district court of the United
    States in any State or Territory in which any portion of the road
    or telegraph line of said company may be situated; and in case of
    suit process may be served upon any agent of the company found in
    such State or Territory, and such service shall be held by the
    court good and sufficient.

Last modified: June 19, 2006