Singapore deepens crackdown on digital piracy with fourth Sim Lim Square sentencing
30 January 2026
Singapore’s latest conviction of a Sim Lim Square retailer for selling illegal streaming devices (ISDs) represents another decisive step in the country’s escalating crackdown on digital piracy.
According to a press release from the Premier League and Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), former Simder Trading and Business director Da Lin was sentenced to four months in prison, while his company was fined S$40,000 (US$31,700) for supplying devices that unlawfully accessed Premier League broadcasts and content owned by ACE members.
This case is part of a broader enforcement wave stemming from an October 2022 raid in which police arrested 17 people and seized more than 2,500 ISDs.
In May 2025, retailer Yue Wang was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, and his company was fined S$181,000 (US$143,500) for selling devices that accessed Premier League, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery content, according to court reporting and statements from rights holders. By November 2025, penalties escalated further when Peng Hsueh‑Shu Yu received 22 months’ imprisonment, and her company was fined S$384,000 ($304,400) in what authorities and the Premier League described as the first such prosecution to involve extensive online sales activity.
“We want to remind fans that the risks associated with piracy are not always immediately apparent, but they are real and damaging. Engaging with unauthorized services can expose users to serious issues, as personal security, privacy and financial information can be compromised,” said Kevin Plumb, a Premier League general counsel.
Industry groups have consistently praised the authorities’ approach, with both the Premier League and ACE commending Singapore’s enforcement efforts in recent statements. Legal analysts note the country has become a regional leader in anti‑piracy action.
Plumb said the latest sentencing reinforces that the sale of ISDs “will not be tolerated” and warned that piracy exposes consumers to cyber risks such as malware and financial fraud. Independent reporting supports these concerns: a 2025 report by CNA found that pirate websites are more than 13 times likelier than legitimate sites to expose users to scams. ACE has also emphasized the economic dimension, saying piracy diverts revenue from lawful markets and harms the global creative sector, according to the same Premier League and ACE statement.
The pattern emerging from these cases shows an enforcement environment that is simultaneously punitive and increasingly sophisticated. Authorities are now targeting not only storefront sellers, long associated with Sim Lim Square, but also online operators whose market reach is significantly broader. Legal commentators have connected this shift to the 2021 amendments to Singapore’s Copyright Act, which explicitly criminalized ISDs and removed previous ambiguities that hindered prosecution.
Reports from 2025 describe these reforms as a turning point that strengthened the ability of law enforcement and rights holders to curb piracy.
The Premier League’s own regional actions reflect the scale of the problem. Since initiating blocking measures six years ago, it has been involved in disabling more than 30,000 pirated sites and apps across Asia, including nearly 800 illicit domains in Singapore alone. Rights holders acknowledge that these technological tools complement criminal prosecutions, but they also argue that retailer-level convictions, like the one handed down to Da Lin, send a necessary deterrent message.
Authorities and rights holders have signalled that additional prosecutions are likely. Several investigations from the 2022 raids remain open, and more cases are expected to follow. Given the recent sentences and the involvement of global entertainment companies, Singapore’s anti‑piracy framework appears poised to remain among the strictest in the region.
- Cathy Li
