Piracy war, MultiChoice welcomes latest piracy ruling

MultiChoice has welcomed a Krugersdorp Regional Court judgment on another copyright infringement perpetrator, Pieter Lombard who was convicted for his role in facilitating unauthorized access to copywritten content.

Lombard was arrested on November 12, 2020, in Monument Park Krugersdorp, after police found 12 internet streaming devices in his possession.

The devices enabled Lombard unauthorized access to protected content.

Lombard was found guilty under the Electronic Communication and Transactions Act 25 of 2002, section 86 and sentenced to a fine of R24 000 or a 12-month imprisonment term sully suspended for five years.

“This conviction is not just a win for our organization but signifies hope for every artist, producer, and stakeholder in the creative industry. It is a clear message that piracy will not be tolerated, and we will relentlessly continue our fight against it,” commented Frikkie Jonker, Broadcasting / Cybersecurity: Anti-Piracy Director at Irdeto.

The conviction is the third conviction secured after that of Lee Whaley, a UK citizen on November 29, 2022, and that of Jordan Lee Mott which took place on November 18, 2022. The pair was arrested for selling Android TV Boxes.

Piracy leads to revenue loss, and the South African creative sector is hard hit by piracy.  Unauthorized streaming cripples the growth of the industry, resulting in job losses and reduced opportunities for aspiring artists.

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