E1A08: If a station in a message forwarding system inadvertently forwards a …

E1A08§ 97.219E1A →

If a station in a message forwarding system inadvertently forwards a message that is in violation of FCC rules, who is primarily accountable for the rules violation?

AThe control operator of the packet bulletin board station
BThe control operator of the originating station
CThe control operators of all the stations in the system
DThe control operators of all the stations in the system not authenticating the source from which they accept communications

Why Section 97.219 covers message forwarding systems, and it places primary accountability on the control operator of the station that originated the message. The logic is that the originator chose the content; forwarding stations pass traffic automatically and cannot screen every message. Forwarding stations are only secondarily accountable, and the FCC generally acts against the first forwarding station only when the origin cannot be determined.

Watch out The choice naming the packet bulletin board (forwarding) operator describes the secondary accountability in 97.219, which applies only if the originating station cannot be identified.

Blame the author, not the mail carrier: the originating control operator is primarily accountable.

HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.

47 CFR 97.219 Message forwarding system.

(a) Any amateur station may participate in a message forwarding system, subject to the privileges of the class of operator license held.

(b) For stations participating in a message forwarding system, the control operator of the station originating a message is primarily accountable for any violation of the rules in this part contained in the message.

(c) Except as noted in (d) of this section, for stations participating in a message forwarding system, the control operators of forwarding stations that retransmit inadvertently communications that violate the rules in this part are not accountable for the violative communications. They are, however, responsible for discontinuing such communications once they become aware of their presence.

(d) For stations participating in a message forwarding system, the control operator of the first forwarding station must:

(1) Authenticate the identity of the station from which it accepts communications on behalf of the system; or

(2) Accept accountability for any violation of the rules in this part contained in messages it retransmits to the system.

eCFR text as of 1 Sep 2026 · read on ecfr.gov

E1A08

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