Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Telecomunications
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Friday, 29.03.2024, 14:00
Latvia: State Police detains a group of persons for distribution of illegal television
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”