Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau successfully dismantled a pirate IPTV operation hidden in an abandoned-looking house, seizing 279 items and arresting two suspects responsible for streaming content worth over US$31.2 million through the Sunny TV app.
Image credit: CIB
The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) in Taiwan successfully raided a pirate IPTV provider that had been illegally streaming broadcasters' content for over two years. The IPTV operation was carried out in a seemingly abandoned house and resulted in the seizure of 279 items, including 72 set-top boxes, 72 video encoders, servers, and mobile phones. Two suspects were arrested as a result of the raid.
Image credit: CIB
Investigators traced the source through online sales of the Qingtian TV "晴天TV" (Sunny TV) app, which illegally streamed live TV channels in a mobile app. The app provided content from Taiwan, Japan, and other regions, with an estimated value of pirated content exceeding one billion Taiwanese dollars over two years. The case was referred to the Taichung District Prosecutor's Office, which led the raid in Taichung City and Yunlin County.
The complaints that led to the raid originated from organisations and TV companies affected by the illegal distribution of their content through the Sunny TV app. This app streamed live broadcasts from legitimate broadcasters, including content from Taiwan's Satellite Radio and Television Business Association and Japan-based anti-piracy group CODA, representing major TV stations like TBS, Fuji TV, NTV, and TV Asahi.
The main suspects, identified as "Li" and "Chen", rented an empty house to conduct their operations. Despite its outwardly abandoned appearance, the house contained a fully operational IPTV piracy setup, as revealed by photographs taken during the raid. The equipment seized included cable TV set-top boxes, signal encoders, servers, networking hardware, and financial records.
Image credit: CIB
Conclusion
Dismantling this piracy operation is a significant victory in the ongoing battle against IPTV piracy. With enforcement actions like these, Taiwan is setting an example for the region, highlighting the importance of international collaboration in protecting intellectual property rights.
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The Criminal Bureau has detected the infringement of illegal TV APP software and pirated recording room by at least 1 billion yuan Spotlight Events | Society | United News Network (udn.com)
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