Star India hits cable systems for piracy
June 2, 2016
Star TV has filed official complaints against dozens of cable operators with allegations of piracy and signal theft of its pay-TV transmissions.
Police have raided certain cable operators and seized re-transmissions equipment. Typical actions, and reported by IndianTelevision.com, is operator RST Digital in Karnataka with around 2500 subscribers which is alleged to have been accessing Star’s pay-TV signals from its DTH transmissions. RST enjoys a local monopoly.
Star filed its ‘First Information Report’ with the police and cited various sections of the Copyright Act. RST Digital’s owner, Vijay Shetty was arrested, remanded in custody, and bail refused.
Star is pursuing similar actions against other alleged pirates and says the “rampant” issue of piracy has resulted in losses of revenue worth hundreds of thousands of Rupees.