http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,185847,00.html?
MAN TRIES TO SELL ILLEGAL DEVICE TO TNP TEAM
Pay me $600 & get all cable channels free
By Desmond Ng and Eoin Ee
December 06, 2008
FREELOADER: A man telling our reporters (in white) more about a device that apparently allows the user to get free access to all of StarHub's cable channels. TNP PICTURE
THE offer was tempting: Free, unlimited access to all of StarHub's 120-odd cable channels.
No pricey subscription fee, no box rental fee and no contract to tie you down.
All with a simple decoder.
The catch? It is illegal to sell or use such sets here.
The penalty can be a $40,000 fine and jail of up to three years if you sell or have one at home.
But such illegal decoders are still available here, as we found out when one man tried to sell a decoder for $600 to The New Paper.
The seller, who introduced himself only as Ian, said that the decoder he has allows users to unscramble StarHub's signals for free access to all its cable channels.
StarHub's monthly subscription starts from $24 for the basic package to about $100 for the ultimate plan, which allows access to more than half of all its channels.
The illegal decoder - in the form of a silver and black box - uses a wiring system similar to StarHub's set-top box.
It also needs to be connected to the TV via an AV (RCA) cable.
The China-made product even comes with all the connecting cables and a remote control.
The seller claimed he gets these decoders from a supplier in Singapore and has sold 50 such sets so far.
Can he prove that it works?
He offered to install one for us, at a cost of $30. And he was adamant that it would work.
So how does he find customers? Ian said that he sells only to individuals by word of mouth, to avoid being caught.
He cited an incident where a man was caught selling decoders from a shop in Sim Lim Tower. He was fined $40,000 in 2004.
That man had tried to sell 38 decoders to a private investigator hired by StarHub then, The Straits Times reported in 2004.
However, that has not deterred Ian or the customers to whom he claims he has sold the sets.
Ian, who looks to be in his 20s, claimed he was down to his last decoder.
He told us he did not know when his next shipment would be.
He said: 'I had a customer who was tired of paying over $100 each month for subscription, so he finally decided to buy one of the boxes.'
We asked Ian if the buyer could be traced.
'It's hard for (StarHub) to trace.
'(StarHub) wants to make money, so it tells people that if you get caught using it, you'll get into trouble.
'But I've been using it for over a year already and (I've had) no problems,' he claimed.
It would not be wise to take him at his word, because Starhub, when contacted, said it has means to detect unauthorised dealers and viewers.
For security reasons, it would prefer not to divulge them.
Unauthorised decoders were once sold at various shops at Sim Lim Tower and Sim Lim Square for between $200 and $600 in 2003.
StarHub scrambled its cable-TV signals in August that year and successfully took an illegal decoder trader to court, wiping out most of the over-the-counter sales of such boxes.
StarHub said that it is a criminal offence to sell, import or manufacture unauthorised decoders.
The company added that it had initiated criminal proceedings against some unauthorised decoder dealers in the past.
Offenders have been fined or jailed in default of the fines.
StarHub declined to comment further on these cases or the number of people caught.
Users of such illegal decoders are also liable to StarHub for damages if they tap into its network using these decoders, with the intention to intercept and receive the programming signals without authorisation.
StarHub has more than half a million cable subscribers, its 2007 annual report stated.
Ms Ong Bee Lian, head of StarHub's pay-TV & entertainment division, added: 'We would not hesitate to take appropriate action to curb the increasing sale of unauthorised decoders in Singapore.
'We are monitoring the situation closely and have taken steps to protect our rights, and the rights of our content providers.'
The company says that it refreshes the encryption on its signals periodically.
Such security measures render the illegal decoders ineffective in unscrambling content on its channels.
Ms Ong added: 'We would advise the public not to buy or use such unauthorised decoders, and to abide by the law and respect intellectual property rights.
'Members of the public who buy these decoders may experience service quality issues, and are exposing themselves to criminal and personal liabilities.'
MAN TRIES TO SELL ILLEGAL DEVICE TO TNP TEAM
Pay me $600 & get all cable channels free
By Desmond Ng and Eoin Ee
December 06, 2008
FREELOADER: A man telling our reporters (in white) more about a device that apparently allows the user to get free access to all of StarHub's cable channels. TNP PICTURE
THE offer was tempting: Free, unlimited access to all of StarHub's 120-odd cable channels.
No pricey subscription fee, no box rental fee and no contract to tie you down.
All with a simple decoder.
The catch? It is illegal to sell or use such sets here.
The penalty can be a $40,000 fine and jail of up to three years if you sell or have one at home.
But such illegal decoders are still available here, as we found out when one man tried to sell a decoder for $600 to The New Paper.
The seller, who introduced himself only as Ian, said that the decoder he has allows users to unscramble StarHub's signals for free access to all its cable channels.
StarHub's monthly subscription starts from $24 for the basic package to about $100 for the ultimate plan, which allows access to more than half of all its channels.
The illegal decoder - in the form of a silver and black box - uses a wiring system similar to StarHub's set-top box.
It also needs to be connected to the TV via an AV (RCA) cable.
The China-made product even comes with all the connecting cables and a remote control.
The seller claimed he gets these decoders from a supplier in Singapore and has sold 50 such sets so far.
Can he prove that it works?
He offered to install one for us, at a cost of $30. And he was adamant that it would work.
So how does he find customers? Ian said that he sells only to individuals by word of mouth, to avoid being caught.
He cited an incident where a man was caught selling decoders from a shop in Sim Lim Tower. He was fined $40,000 in 2004.
That man had tried to sell 38 decoders to a private investigator hired by StarHub then, The Straits Times reported in 2004.
However, that has not deterred Ian or the customers to whom he claims he has sold the sets.
Ian, who looks to be in his 20s, claimed he was down to his last decoder.
He told us he did not know when his next shipment would be.
He said: 'I had a customer who was tired of paying over $100 each month for subscription, so he finally decided to buy one of the boxes.'
We asked Ian if the buyer could be traced.
'It's hard for (StarHub) to trace.
'(StarHub) wants to make money, so it tells people that if you get caught using it, you'll get into trouble.
'But I've been using it for over a year already and (I've had) no problems,' he claimed.
It would not be wise to take him at his word, because Starhub, when contacted, said it has means to detect unauthorised dealers and viewers.
For security reasons, it would prefer not to divulge them.
Unauthorised decoders were once sold at various shops at Sim Lim Tower and Sim Lim Square for between $200 and $600 in 2003.
StarHub scrambled its cable-TV signals in August that year and successfully took an illegal decoder trader to court, wiping out most of the over-the-counter sales of such boxes.
StarHub said that it is a criminal offence to sell, import or manufacture unauthorised decoders.
The company added that it had initiated criminal proceedings against some unauthorised decoder dealers in the past.
Offenders have been fined or jailed in default of the fines.
StarHub declined to comment further on these cases or the number of people caught.
Users of such illegal decoders are also liable to StarHub for damages if they tap into its network using these decoders, with the intention to intercept and receive the programming signals without authorisation.
StarHub has more than half a million cable subscribers, its 2007 annual report stated.
Ms Ong Bee Lian, head of StarHub's pay-TV & entertainment division, added: 'We would not hesitate to take appropriate action to curb the increasing sale of unauthorised decoders in Singapore.
'We are monitoring the situation closely and have taken steps to protect our rights, and the rights of our content providers.'
The company says that it refreshes the encryption on its signals periodically.
Such security measures render the illegal decoders ineffective in unscrambling content on its channels.
Ms Ong added: 'We would advise the public not to buy or use such unauthorised decoders, and to abide by the law and respect intellectual property rights.
'Members of the public who buy these decoders may experience service quality issues, and are exposing themselves to criminal and personal liabilities.'
