Criminal Investigation Bureau cracks down on illegal set top box in Taiwan

　As reported in the press release issued by the Criminal Investigation Bureau, National Police Agency under the Ministry of the Interior, various illegal OTT device that is claimed to be able to provide free access to local DBS and cable TV programs, American, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese TV series and movies has been flooding the market in recent years.  The investigation reveals that crime syndicates have been establishing web server in telecommunication facilities located within Taiwan to decrypt the legal TV signals sent by local major TV stations and then transmit the same to illegal set top boxes for consumers’ viewing, which forms infringement upon many local and Japanese TV channels’ intellectual property rights.  The victims of such infringement authorized the Satellite Television Broadcasting Association, R.O.C. and the Content Overseas Distribution Association to file a complaint with the Telecommunications Investigation Corps of the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Second Special Police Corps.  

　To curb the aforesaid illegal broadcasting, the Criminal Investigation Bureau has organized a taskforce since early 2021 with an aim to wipe out illegal set top boxes and venues.  The investigation has been going on for several months and ended up seizure of a total of 778 illegal set top boxes and 9 web servers uncovered from the search on 18 distributors and control rooms located in New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, and Taichung City, etc., and the value involved in this illegal activity amounted to more than TWD1 billion.  (Released 2021.02.05) 

/CCS