DStv ‘premium’ pirate kingpin nailed in Multichoice raid

DStv owner Multichoice has escalated its anti-piracy raids, with another successful arrest in Johannesburg on Thursday (25 July).

The group raided and arrested a suspect in Eldorado Park who has been selling logging credentials and internet streaming pirate devices, which enabled illegal access to the group’s premium content.

Multichoice said these actions are in direct contravention of sections within the Cybercrime Act. Additionally, the suspect faces charges of money laundering.

“This operation is part of a series of ongoing anti-piracy efforts, following recent successful raids in Cape Town and Johannesburg,” it said.

“These operations underscore MultiChoice’s commitment to combating digital piracy and protecting the creative industry.”

The suspect has been detained and will appear at the Lenasia Magistrate Court on Friday (26 July).

Several pieces of equipment were also confiscated by the police during the raid and will be “thoroughly analysed”, the group said.

“This raid highlights our continuous efforts to dismantle illegal operations that undermine the creative industry,” said Director of broadcast cybersecurity and anti-piracy at Irdeto, Frikkie Jonker.

“More raids are imminent as we intensify our efforts to combat digital piracy.”

Multichoice conducted two key raids in June; the first saw a ‘piracy kingpin’ in the Western Cape arrested.

The suspect was believed to have managed several pirate customers and resellers of Waka TV

MultiChoice said it is actively working with the police as investigations continue into the thousands of individuals connected to the Waka TV pirate network.

The second raid in Johannesburg saw the arrest of an individual with alleged ties to the illegal sale of internet streaming pirate devices which allowed individuals to access MultiChoice content, violating several legal statutes.

Partners Against Piracy, an Africa-wide multi-stakeholder initiative, is working alongside local governments and prosecutors to actively address the issue of copyright infringement.

The initiative aims to strengthen government agencies through collaboration to facilitate information sharing, enforce IP laws more strongly and combat privacy.

Among these agencies are the Serious Commercial Crime Unit of the Hawks, South African Police Services and the Cybercrime Units in various provinces.

To cast a wider net for tracking down copyright infringement activities, these stakeholders are also collaborating with IP rights holders such as Multichoice and internet service providers.

Multichoice is primarily going after content pirates on the basis of violations against:

• Section 2 of the Cybercrime Act 19 of 2020 (unauthorized access to content)
• Sections 44 & 45 of the RICA Act 70 of 2002 (possession and sale of an infringing device)
• Section 27 of the Copyright Act 98 of 1978 (infringement of a rightsholder’s rights)

“Public awareness initiatives are also part of efforts to educate people on the ill effects of digital piracy on creators, industries and the economy as a whole,” it said.

“Content piracy involves the unauthorised acquisition, use, sharing or selling of copyrighted content. Put simply, piracy is stealing.”

Multichoice previously noted that subscribers of illegal pirate services are also in the crosshairs.

“Subscribing to pirate services can expose individuals to significant legal risks. Users may face fines or legal action for accessing content illegally,” it warned.

Read: Another DStv piracy boss nailed in South Africa – more arrests to come