SINGAPORE: Seventeen people have been hauled up in Singapore as part of a crackdown following the passing of a law banning the sale of pirate set-top boxes in September last year.
The Singapore Police Force said in a release on Friday (Oct 7) that four women and 13 men aged between 24 and 61 were arrested for their suspected involvement in the sales of illegal streaming devices, which enable consumers to access unauthorised content from illicit sources online.
On Tuesday, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department raided shops in Sim Lim Square and seized more than 2,500 sets of these devices, said the police.
"The estimated street value of these devices is more than S$500,000," said the authority, adding that its investigations are ongoing.
Last year, telco StarHub said it would offer two years of free rental of its StarHub TV+ box worth S$120 to customers who turn in their old pirate set-top boxes.
This was on the heels of a Copyright Bill tabled in Parliament in July 2021, rendering it illegal to sell these boxes.
The Bill was passed into law and its provisions kicked in around November last year.
Under the Copyright Act 2021, infringement by making, dealing, importing, distributing or offering of devices or services to access works without the authority of copyright owners carries a fine up to S$100,000, an imprisonment term of up to five years, or both.
"The Police take a serious view of intellectual property rights infringement and would like to remind the public that the distribution and sales of illegal streaming devices are serious offences," it said in its Friday release.
"The Police will not hesitate to take tough action against perpetrators."
Last month, it was revealed that a total of 245 domains associated with 30 illegal streaming sites are now blocked in Singapore.
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The Singapore Police Force said in a release on Friday (Oct 7) that four women and 13 men aged between 24 and 61 were arrested for their suspected involvement in the sales of illegal streaming devices, which enable consumers to access unauthorised content from illicit sources online.
On Tuesday, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department raided shops in Sim Lim Square and seized more than 2,500 sets of these devices, said the police.
"The estimated street value of these devices is more than S$500,000," said the authority, adding that its investigations are ongoing.
Last year, telco StarHub said it would offer two years of free rental of its StarHub TV+ box worth S$120 to customers who turn in their old pirate set-top boxes.
This was on the heels of a Copyright Bill tabled in Parliament in July 2021, rendering it illegal to sell these boxes.
The Bill was passed into law and its provisions kicked in around November last year.
Under the Copyright Act 2021, infringement by making, dealing, importing, distributing or offering of devices or services to access works without the authority of copyright owners carries a fine up to S$100,000, an imprisonment term of up to five years, or both.
"The Police take a serious view of intellectual property rights infringement and would like to remind the public that the distribution and sales of illegal streaming devices are serious offences," it said in its Friday release.
"The Police will not hesitate to take tough action against perpetrators."
Last month, it was revealed that a total of 245 domains associated with 30 illegal streaming sites are now blocked in Singapore.
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