Illegal streaming devices in online marketplaces: to stop piracy, SG authorities step up efforts
02 December 2024
Singaporean authorities are stepping up efforts to curb piracy due to the growing prevalence of illegal streaming devices such as small set-top boxes being sold online including Lazada.
Yvonne Tang | Director for intellectual property @ Drew & Napier, Singapore.
“Under the Copyright Act 2021, there are provisions in place to tackle illegal streaming devices,” said Yvonne Tang, director for intellectual property at Drew & Napier in Singapore. “The most relevant is Section 150, which addresses infringement by making a device or providing service, etc., to access works communicated without authority. This is a punishable offence under Section 445 read with Section 447(2) of the Copyright Act 2021. Active steps have been taken to enforce such laws in Singapore through police raids and court actions.”
One such police raid took place in 2022 at Sim Lim Square, a shopping mall along Rochor Canal Road dedicated to electronic products and services. Police raided multiple stores at the mall simultaneously, seizing over 2,500 sets of illegal streaming devices in the process. Charged in court for copyright infringement were two businesses and the controller of these businesses, resulting in the first copyright infringement case dealing with offences under Section 150(1) of the Copyright Act 2021. One of the two businesses charged was fined S$100,000 (US$74,600), while the other was fined S$200,000 (US$149,200). The controller of the businesses was sentenced to 10 months of imprisonment.
“Having such measures in place to crack down on the sale of illegal streaming devices is especially important in the era of internet, where ecommerce platforms such as Lazada make it even easier to commit such acts of infringement, as sellers can easily list their illegal streaming devices for sale on such platforms,” said Tang.
Despite the clampdown on such devices in Singapore, problems remain because of the very nature of the online space, in particular, ecommerce. Sellers on ecommerce can easily create accounts to sell their infringing products. “Given the relative ease in setting up seller accounts on ecommerce platforms, it is difficult to trace the seller’s account to identify the specific person or entity behind the account. Even if an account is suspended, an infringing seller can easily create a new account and continue selling illegal streaming devices. Moreover, if the seller is located overseas and commits infringing acts in Singapore, it becomes even more challenging to enforce Singapore laws against such persons,” Tang explained.
Given that ecommerce platforms are common mediums for facilitating infringement, Tang emphasized the importance of platforms and the government working together to clamp down on such acts of infringement.
- Espie Angelica A. de Leon
