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Canadian Satellite Pirates Hit With $100 Million Lawsuit
Toronto - Oct 29, 2002 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. Bell ExpressVu is a limited partnership, wholly owned by BCE Inc. With more than 1.2 million customers, Bell ExpressVu is Canada's leader in digital home entertainment and broadcasts more than 275 video digital channels. CTV Inc., is a leader in conventional and specialty broadcasting with 21 television stations across Canada, direct and indirect interests in 15 specialty channels, production houses and music publishing. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Globemedia Inc. Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. is a leading vertically integrated broadcaster, creator and distributor of filmed entertainment with ownership interests in 18 specialty television channels. The company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Astral Media is Canada's largest operator of English and French specialty, pay, and pay-per-view television services. Its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express The latest information about the Commercial Satellite Industry
Stratos Steps Closer To Xantic Acquisition
Bethesda MD (SPX) Jan 5, 2006Stratos Global recently announced it had taken a step closer toward the completion of the acquisition of Xantic, having received positive advice from the Works' Council in the Netherlands, and executed a definitive agreement to purchase Xantic from KPN and Telstra Corporation. |
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