Four major players in the Canadian television
industry have launched a $100 million lawsuit over the piracy of satellite TV signals in Canada.
The suit, brought by Bell ExpressVu L.P., CTV Inc., Astral Media Inc. and Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. (the Companies) in Federal Court alleges that a number of dealers in Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Brandon, MB and Surrey, BC, have violated the federal Radiocommunications Act by illegally selling equipment intended to be used to decrypt satellite programming without authorization from either of Canada’s two licensed satellite TV companies, Bell ExpressVu L.P. or Star Choice Communications Inc.
“Signal piracy is theft and we want to stop it,” said Tim McGee, Bell ExpressVu President. “The law is clear, but obviously a number of these dealers continue to ignore it.”
The suit seeks damages of $100 million as well as payment to the Companies of all earnings of the pirate dealers through the sale of the illegal satellite equipment; injunctions barring the alleged pirate dealers from dealing in equipment intended to be used to illegally decrypt U.S. satellite programming; the surrender or disposal of all equipment intended to be used to illegally decrypt U.S. satellite programming; and costs.
“These are all sophisticated dealers who know exactly what they are doing and who are flouting the law at everyone else’s expense,” Mr. McGee said.
The Companies state that the actions of these dealers have had a severe impact on their businesses. Each company has lost customers and revenue as a result of the illegal actions of these dealers.
“Ultimately, this piracy damages the Canadian broadcasting system as a whole,” Mr. McGee said.