New anti-piracy bill from Canadian government

net1

In the latest step to curb satellite piracy, the Ministers of Industry and Canadian Heritage have jointly tabled a bill in the Canadian House of Commons to amend the Radiocommunication Act.

Amendments seek to improve Canadian importation control over illegal radiocommunication equipment, increase penalties to act as a more effective deterrent, and strengthen the broadcasting industry's right to civil action
by providing the option of seeking statutory damages.

"With this bill, the Government of Canada is taking action needed to protect investments made by the broadcasting industry, as well as the integrity of the broadcasting system as a whole," says Allan Rock. Minister of industry. "We are sending the signal to dealers of illegal direct-to-home satellite equipment and services that their days of harming Canadian broadcasting are coming to an end."

Heritage Minister Sheila Copps says that, if not for direct-to-home satellite piracy, there would be hundreds of millions of additional dollars poured into the Canadian broadcasting system to make Canadian programs, to expand distribution capacity and access to foreign-language services, and to offer new digital, high-definition and interactive services to Canadians.

Financial penalties and/or jail time are greatly increased under the proposed amendments. For one example, individuals convicted of the retransmission of an encrypted subscription programming signal that has been decoded without authorisation will be subject to a fine of E32,482 (Cdn$50 000) and/or a maximum two year jail sentence, up from a E12,990(Cdn$20 000) fine and/or a one year jail sentence.

And licensed satellite programming providers will have the right to seek statutory damages of up to E64,944 (Cdn$100 000) against an individual or corporation committing signal theft for commercial gain.