Eight arrests in HK content piracy crack down

[Archiee]

Hong Kong Customs has arrested four shop owners and four employees following raids on retail outlets selling illicit streaming devices (ISDs) which provide access to pirated video content.

Over 350 of the pre-loaded TV boxes were seized, including brands such as the Ubox, EVPad, BossTV and Magic Box.

“Hong Kong Customs will continue to strengthen its searches at ISD shop hotspots, cracking down on those who sell devices that allow for the stealing of pay-TV channels. Whether the rights-holders are based locally or internationally, both are protected under the Copyright Ordinance. Customs wants to remind salespersons that selling circumvention devices, or providing circumvention services that allow users to watch pay-TV channels for free, is a serious offence,” said a spokesperson for Hong Kong Customs.

“Customs wants to urge consumers to watch pay-TV through legal avenues. Users of ISDs will not only face disconnections but also may have their private data stolen by malicious actors.”

Regional broadcast industry body CASBAA, believes the supply of ISDs is impacting all businesses involved in the production and distribution of legitimate content.

Neil Gane, general manager of CASBAA’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) commended the work of Hong Kong Customs against content piracy.

 

“The prevalence of ISDs in Hong Kong and across South East Asia is staggering. The criminals who sell ISDs, as well as those who operate the ISD networks and pirate websites, are profiting from the hard work of talented creators, seriously damaging the legitimate content ecosystem as well as exposing consumers to dangerous malware,” added Gane.

Online video and broadband distribution has the potential to be a massive economic growth engine with analysts forecasting market growth of more than 20% over the next five years. But this growth potential is threatened by piracy, said CASBAA.

Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) members include: beIN Sports, CASBAA, The Walt Disney Company, Fox Networks Group, HBO Asia, NBCUniversal, Premier League, Turner Asia-Pacific, A&E Networks, Astro, BBC Worldwide, CANAL+, Cignal, La Liga, Media Partners Asia, National Basketball Association, PCCW Media, Singtel, Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia, TVB, True Visions, TV5MONDE, and Viacom International Media Networks.