Presumed pirate pillaged satellite signals?

 

Bronze Member
Username: Gastrognome

Post Number: 28
Registered: Dec-06
http://www.sherbrookerecord.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=661&It emid=27

A Hatley Township man was arrested and will likely be charged with the theft of satellite signals and possession of equipment used to intercept the transmissions.


The arrest occurred on Tuesday when the residence of the presumed pirate was raided by officers from the Estrie Detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

RCMP Corporal Sylvain L'Heureux said a search of the man's home uncovered terminals and equipment that could have been used to steal satellite signals. The gear, which will be examined by RCMP experts, was seized along with an undisclosed amount of cash, a vehicle and a number of documents.

L'Heureux said the ongoing investigation aims to establish that the suspect, who operates a computer business, imported and sold satellite piracy equipment throughout North America. The man is also alleged to have modified satellite receivers for the purpose of illegally intercepting signals.

The arrest was announced at a press conference held yesterday.

Information gathered during the RCMP investigation indicates the suspect rented post office boxes where he received equipment and decoders that were then allegedly offered for sale on the Internet.

What makes the arrest unusual is that the suspect is alleged to have operated two Internet websites to sell his wares and promote his services, said l'Heureux.

The first site supposedly allowed consumers to order components for the illegal capture of satellite signals from Express Vu in Canada and Dish Network in the U.S. The second was a chat room where users allegedly shared tips on pirating satellite signals.

Both sites have been deactivated, L'Heureux said, noting there is a potential jurisdictional problem if the website server is located outside Canada.

L'Heureux said police don't have an estimate of the number of customers they claim were served by the home-based Hatley business, nor on how much they believe the decoders, descramblers and other equipment were selling for.

But Michel Clavette of Industry Canada said the average cost of a monthly subscription of satellite dish services is about $50, and more for those who get pay-per-view movies and sports events.

The cost of apparatus to pirate signals can range from $30 to a couple hundred dollars. Clavette said consumers buying black market decoders don't necessarily win because distributors often modify their codes and technology, forcing the signal crooks to continually update their bootleg equipment.

Serge Corriveau, vice-president of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, applauded the arrest and told reporters signal theft is a serious and growing problem.

Corriveau said the theft of satellite signals costs movie studios, television networks and cable distributors $400 million a year. "And that's a conservative estimate," he said, noting it is believed that hundreds of thousands of Canadian households are illegally accessing television services.

Corriveau said pirated signals are even costly to neighbourhood video stores. He said that when a ring of pirates is brought down, rentals in the vicinity increase in the following days.

Clavette said the law on satellite signal theft is clear. He said that in 2002, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled that unauthorized reception of satellite signals is illegal.

He added the justices recently refused to hear an appeal of the law by a convicted Drummondville pirate.

Corriveau said he is pleased police are cracking down on pirates and notes the industry would like to see rustling signals upgraded from a summary offence (a less serious crime punishable by fines and shorter jail terms), to an indictable one, which is a more serious crime with harsher sentences.

Tuesday's search and arrest was the result of a joint effort by the RCMP investigators from the Estrie Detachment, Industry Canada, the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, Bell Express Vu and Canada Post, said L'Heureux, of the RCMP Communications Office.

The suspect could not be named because he has not been officially charged. He will be summoned to appear in court later where he could face a variety of charges under the Radio Communications Act and the Criminal Code of Canada, said RCMP.

The presumed pirate could be charged with importing, modifying and selling equipment contrary to the Radiocommunication Act. He could also face criminal charges related to the theft of satellite signals and possession of device to obtain telecommunication facility or service. If found guilty of the last, he is liable to imprisonment for a maximum of two years.

April 20


maestra and highontech sites down
 

Silver Member
Username: Crazy_greek

Post Number: 874
Registered: Jul-06

Some large Corp. will put a patent on the rain,
and charge us for watering our lawns.If you don't sign up,they will say that you are stealing.
 

Gold Member
Username: Lklives

Post Number: 8992
Registered: Jan-06
hell, they already do that in Florida!!...the City government gave me a $100 fine for watering with my own wells and in ground TIMED sprinklers, that I paid big bucks for....and we get 5 feet of rain a year, its not like the desert or anything...hell we have canals, retention ponds, and water everywhere!...and a million golf courses that water daily...LOL
 

Gold Member
Username: Satscanner

Beaversbush, Sportsmans P... Great White ...

Post Number: 1815
Registered: Nov-06
yup,there cracking down on sat suppliers,there slowly going underground or getting out of it in my area,could also be the market was oversaturated too.
 

Gold Member
Username: Lklives

Post Number: 9003
Registered: Jan-06
This is nothing new...authorities, along with the providers, have been busting people for years..it happens almost weekly...anybody selling illegal hardware,loaders, ISo's, atmegas, or subscriptions or preprogrammed altered receivers, make tons of money but wear a sign saying "BUST ME" on their shirts!

People who just sell dishes, LNB's, unaltered FTA receivers and accessories, and have forums that do NOT have a "for sale" section should have no problems, especially if they don't allow posting any keys either..
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