Jail for man who sold illegal streaming devices in landmark prosecution
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SINGAPORE: A man who sold illegal streaming devices was sentenced to 10 months’ jail on Thursday (Oct 24), setting a precedent under a copyright law passed in 2021.
Ge Xin, a 36-year-old Singaporean who ran two companies in Sim Lim Square, pleaded guilty to 16 charges related to selling devices that had applications allowing users to access copyrighted content, including Premier League football matches, said the English league in a statement on Thursday.
Ge's jail sentence was in relation to eight charges. His two companies – MT Gadget+ and Grandnew – received fines of S$200,000 and S$100,000 respectively, in relation to four charges each.
In September 2021, a law was passed banning the sale of pirate set-top boxes. A police raid on illegal streaming device sellers in 2022 seized more than 2,500 sets of these devices, with more than 400 sets from Ge's two shops.
Ge was charged earlier this year for infringing the copyright of companies like Disney, Netflix and the Premier League by selling devices that came installed with programmes that could access copyrighted shows such as Raya and the Last Dragon, The Adam Project and Premier League games.
He was also accused of infringing the copyright of other works such as Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore by Warner Bros, Discovery Channel by Discovery and Top Gun Maverick by Paramount Pictures.
The Premier League, which opened its first international office in Singapore in 2019, said Ge's sentencing is the first-ever prosecution under section 150 of the Copyright Act 2021, which imposes liability for copyright infringement on commercial dealers of illegal streaming devices.
The prosecution also marks a significant milestone in the fight against piracy in Singapore, the league added, making clear there are severe consequences for businesses and individuals involved in selling and distributing copyrighted content, including the dealing of illegal streaming devices.
“The significant outcome of this case again confirms there are serious consequences for those supplying unauthorised access to Premier League football,” said Premier League general counsel Kevin Plumb.
“We welcome this landmark prosecution, which is the result of detailed investigations carried out in collaboration with the Singapore Attorney-General Chambers and the Intellectual Property Rights Branch of the Singapore Police Force.
“We thank them for their commitment and expertise in the investigations and prosecutions following the initial raids in 2022.”
The Premier League said it will continue to work closely with its official broadcast licensee StarHub and support Singapore law enforcement agencies and authorities in combatting piracy.
In addition to enforcement action, the league also identifies and blocks access to websites offering illegal streams.
“This is the first of multiple cases to emerge from those raids and is the latest significant milestone in our work to combat piracy in partnership with local enforcement authorities,” said Mr Plumb.
“We will continue to take action against piracy and work to raise awareness among fans of the risks associated with using illegal services - the safest and best way for fans in Singapore to watch Premier League action is via authorised broadcast partner channels.”
