New stage in cable piracy battle
July 13, 2009
The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) has announced a new direction in the battle against pay-TV piracy in the Philippines. A breakthrough settlement by Turtle Cable, an infringing cable operator in Camarines Sur, is underpinned by a legally binding undertaking to refrain from broadcasting unauthorised TV programming and exclusively distribute legally authorised television broadcasts to its subscribers.
Legal experts believe the outcome of this test case has established a strong precedent for the settlement of future pay-TV piracy complaints.
"We are delighted to see the settlement of this first cable TV IP (intellectual property) case in the Philippines," said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA. "It is a significant step towards guaranteeing copyright protection for broadcasting in the Philippines. The other good news is that Turtle Cable can now resume business as an authorised pay-TV provider. We wish them every success in the future."
The case against Turtle Cable was the result of a series of complaints filed by CASBAA on behalf of broadcasters who own their copyrighted programmes.
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