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MultiChoice Group and police detectives said on Friday that they have nabbed an alleged piracy kingpin in Gauteng as part of a series of antipiracy efforts by the JSE-listed broadcaster.
It said that on Thursday, a successful raid was conducted in Gauteng with the support of detectives from the Eldorado Park police station. It followed similar raids recently in the Cape Town and Johannesburg.
“The suspect, Jurgen Johannes Potgieter, was arrested for selling login credentials and internet streaming pirate devices, which enabled illegal access to premium content. These actions are in direct contravention of sections within the Cybercrime Act. Additionally, the suspect faces charges of money laundering,” MultiChoice said in a statement.
Potgieter has been detained and will appear in court in Lenasia on Friday. Equipment was also confiscated by the police during the raid and “will be thoroughly analysed”.
“This raid highlights our continuous efforts to dismantle illegal operations that undermine the creative industry,” said Frikke Jonker, the director of broadcast cybersecurity and antipiracy at MultiChoice-owned Irdeto, in the statement.
“More raids are imminent as we intensify our efforts to combat digital piracy. The professionalism displayed by the police before and during the raid was exemplary and contributed significantly to the operation’s success,” said Jonker.
Copyright infringement
MultiChoice said that Partners Against Piracy, an Africa-wide, multi-stakeholder initiative, is working alongside local governments and prosecutors to actively address the issue of copyright infringement.
“The initiative aims to strengthen government agencies through collaboration to facilitate information sharing, enforce IP laws more strongly and combat privacy. Among these agencies are the Serious Commercial Crime Unit of the Hawks, the South African Police Service and the cybercrime units in various provinces,” MultiChoice said.
Read more:
- MultiChoice nails streaming piracy operation Waka TV
- Inside DStv’s boots-on-the-ground war on piracy
“To cast a wider net for tracking down copyright infringement activities, these stakeholders are also collaborating with IP rights holders such as MultiChoice and internet service providers.” — © 2024 NewsCentral Media