In its ongoing efforts to combat piracy, Astro has successfully obtained court orders against a Kuala Lumpur F&B outlet and a boutique hotel in Cameron Highlands for unlawfully streaming its copyrighted content. Additionally, an individual has been fined RM12,000 for selling TV boxes loaded with unauthorized Astro content.
The legal action against the F&B outlet and boutique hotel was initiated after Astro gathered evidence demonstrating that these establishments were broadcasting pirated Astro content to customers and the public without proper consent or licensing. Such actions constitute copyright infringement under Section 36 of the Copyright Act 1987.
Photo via Malay Mail
On January 17, 2024, Astro finalized Consent Orders with the operators of the F&B outlet in Kuala Lumpur and the boutique hotel in Cameron Highlands, compelling them to pay a total of RM55,000 in damages, issue a public apology through the media, and commit to ceasing all copyright infringement activities. Furthermore, both establishments have agreed to subscribe to Astro's commercial service, amounting to RM53,000 in total.
These legal actions by Astro are supported by a landmark ruling secured in November 2022, which established the illegality of publicly displaying content from unauthorized sources, including Astro broadcasts, without the appropriate commercial license.
In a separate development, on February 16, 2024, the Ampang Session Court fined Teh Wei Seng RM12,000 for selling TV boxes pre-loaded with unauthorized Astro content. Teh Wei Seng, 26, pleaded guilty to the offense, which occurred on March 30, 2023, at an outlet in Ampang, Selangor. He was found in possession of three Android TV boxes, two of which contained unauthorized Astro content.
Tai Kam Leong, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Astro, expressed satisfaction with these legal victories, emphasizing the company's commitment to combating piracy. Leong reiterated that piracy undermines Astro's ability to serve its audience and invest in premium content for Malaysians, emphasizing that stringent measures will be taken against perpetrators.
These legal actions underscore Astro's determination to protect its intellectual property rights and maintain the integrity of its content distribution channels.
