MultiChoice targets streaming pirates

MultiChoice Group, through its subsidiary Irdeto – and working with law enforcement agencies – has taken action against another pirate streaming operation, the second such action it has announced in as many days.

On Wednesday, TechCentral reported that MultiChoice, working with specialised Western Cape police, had made an arrest of an individual behind the Waka TV streaming operation.

Now, in another enforcement action, a suspect has been arrested in Gauteng for the “illegal sale of internet streaming pirate devices that allowed individuals to access MultiChoice content, violating several legal statutes.”

The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, 4 June by the serious commercial crime unit of the Hawks in Gauteng.

The suspect, who MultiChoice did not name, was granted bail of R3 000, and the case is scheduled to be heard on 18 June at the Kempton Park magistrate’s court.

“The apprehended suspect managed several pirate customers and resellers, as well as illegally distributed live TV channels, including several DStv channels, movies and series. The disruption caused by this raid is a significant blow to the illegal streaming industry in Africa,” MultiChoice said in a statement.

‘Concerted crackdown’

“Digital piracy, far from being a fringe activity, has become a widespread practice that transcends demographics and geographies, challenging the norms of intellectual property rights,” it added.

“Acts of piracy, ranging from illegal streaming to black-market digital piracy, are forms of copyright infringement that undermine the efforts of content providers and the software industry. They also pose a digital threat to the commercial distribution of content,” said Frikkie Jonker, Irdeto’s broadcasting cybersecurity anti-piracy director.

“This huge milestone follows the successful raid and arrest of a key suspect involved in one of the most extensive pirate operations in Africa, known as Waka TV, which occurred on 31 May in the Western Cape.”

MultiChoice said the two arrests are “just the beginning” of a series of planned operations against illegal streaming providers across South Africa.

“MultiChoice is committed to a concerted crackdown on internet streaming piracy, protecting the integrity of its services and ensuring consumers receive high-quality, legitimate content,” it said.

“MultiChoice is actively working with the South African Police Service as investigations continue into the thousands of individuals connected to these pirate networks. Resellers supporting these illegal operations are also under investigation.”