Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Telecomunications

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 14:00

Latvia: State Police detains a group of persons for distribution of illegal television

BC, Riga, 16.05.2019.Print version
In suspicion of committing a criminal offence, the Economic Crime Enforcement Department of the Central Criminal Police Department of the State Police detained four persons who from 2013 to 2019 privately ensured provision of illegal television services to their range of customers in Riga and territory of Pierīga.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated regarding infringement of copyright and related rights if material harm has been caused thereby to the law-protected interests of a person and if it is committed by a group of persons upon previous arrangement.

 

The group of persons committed the criminal offence since 2013, thus ensuring unlicensed television content to approximately 10,000 households in Riga and Riga region by using such technological solution as CardSharing. The mentioned solution has been provided by using a satellite dish, internet connection and specially configurated receiver in order to receive and decode a signal sent by a foreign server and to make the illegal television content available to the customer. Mostly a popular set of foreign audiovisual content was distributed which included also television channels integrated in Latvia. As a result of investigation actions, was terminated the flow of internet data distributed by the server located abroad.

 

When commenting the events, Dace Kotzeva, Executive Director of the association “For legal content!” /„Par legālu saturu!”/ underlined: “The fact that 10,000 users of illegal television connections were denied further access to illegal TV content is important; it reduces the total volume of illegal TV connection by 16% at least.”

 

The men may be punished for committed this criminal offence by deprivation of liberty up to four years or by short-term deprivation of liberty, or community service, or a fine.

 

In relation to the spread of illegal television, the officials of the Economic Crime Enforcement Department of the Central Criminal Police Department of the State Police in cooperation with the Association “For legal content!” continue to conduct active preventive work in order to inform the public by participating in various informative campaigns, including anti-piracy social campaign “Don’t deceive yourself – You are stealing!”. 

 

Association “For legal content!”

The goal of the association “For legal content!” is to actively fight against television and film distribution without the permission of the producer or supplier and to facilitate legal broadcasting on the telecommunications market. The association was established on 7 October 2015 by providers of television services and producers of audiovisual content: SIA Lattelecom, SIA Baltcom, ĀKF AS TV PLAY BALTICS LATVIJAS FILIĀLE, SIA Baltijas Mediju Alianse and SIA Forum Cinemas, members: provider of mobile communication BITE LATVIJA, SIA ACME FILM, operator of orbital satellites SES ASTRA AB, Latvian Performers’ and Producers’ Association (LaIPA), “WIDE MEDIA” LLC, SIA Dautkom TV, SIA Ostkom and the Latvian authors’ association “Copyright and Communication Consulting Agency/ Latvian Authors Association”

 






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