Abu Dhabi Court has convicted the administrator of a pirate website for illegally uploading torrents and facilitating illegal streaming of copyrighted television series, movies, and misusing the intellectual property rights of pay TV network, OSN. The offender has been fined USD 13,500 and will serve a six-month jail sentence following which he will be deported […]
Abu Dhabi Court has convicted the administrator of a pirate website for illegally uploading torrents and facilitating illegal streaming of copyrighted television series, movies, and misusing the intellectual property rights of pay TV network, OSN. The offender has been fined USD 13,500 and will serve a six-month jail sentence following which he will be deported from the country.
In addition, as per the courts order, the Prosecutors Office will also work with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to block the pirate website. The pirate was initially imprisoned for two months and has since appealed the verdict.
Commenting on the stern measures adopted by the broadcast community towards offenders, Sophie Moloney, General Counsel of OSN, said: The authorities have adopted extreme vigilance to all forms of television piracy, which has resulted in websites streaming illegal content being blocked in the UAE. Stealing movies or television series is an offence, whether it is online or as DVDs from a shop, and the authorities recognise that the financial impact on the legitimate copyright owners will be the same.
Our efforts against DishTV India for piracy have led to positive results on ground led by the raids and prompt action by the proactive efforts on the authorities. We have also made significant advances in fighting IPTV piracy. The action against illegal operators will serve as a stern warning against TV piracy. The public can contribute to fighting it by voluntarily staying away from accessing illegal content on any platforms.
According to estimates by the International Data Corporation, TV piracy through the use of illegal set-top boxes, unauthorised VPN subscriptions, and torrent downloads costs over US$750 million in losses to the content and consumer product creation industries in the Middle East and Africa every year.
Over the years, OSNs efforts to curb TV piracy has resulted in strong action with several illegal providers being charged with criminal offences in various Emirates in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Egypt.
