Illegal service providers of satellite television are to be tracked down by Dubai Police and punished, it was announced on Monday.
Col Salem Al Rumaithi, deputy director of the CID, said television piracy costs the industry millions of dirhams and posed a threat to companies that consider the country a safe place for investment.
The Anti-Piracy Coalition and other authorities have been cracking down on unauthorised satellite service providers and dealers after the CID obtained a list of illegal subscriptions to South Asian television channels.
“Dubai Police has a robust strategy in place to crack down on piracy-related crimes, and monitor illegal devices, equipment and decoders through specialised CID teams,” said Col Al Rumaithi.
“We have taken immediate action to capture unauthorised devices identified by Dubai Police to ensure intellectual property rights are protected, as defined by the UAE law.”
He said that fighting piracy was everybody’s responsibility and will increase investment in the UAE.
David Butorac, chief executive of OSN, said: “We are thankful to the authorities for their swift action. For a long time, TV piracy was seen as a victimless crime, however, the loss in revenue it causes the industry and the adverse impact it has on the region’s creative talent is immense.
“We urge illegal content viewers to subscribe to a legal pay-TV service and respect the copyright laws of the UAE.”
The CID’s economic crime department has carried out a number of raids, seizing illegal equipment and decoders.
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