Dubai Court ruling slaps fine on distributor of UKTV Abroad services in the UAE

The Dubai Court has imposed a fine of AED50,000 on a distributor of UKTV Abroad packages, an unlicensed and unauthorised IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) service in the UAE, in a significant ruling that will support the fight against digital piracy.

Following a copyright infringement complaint filed by OSN against the merchant, the Dubai Criminal Investigation Department (CID) conducted a raid on the provider and presented evidence before the court. The court ordered that all the digital set-top boxes/decoders confiscated from the vendor be destroyed. The dealer, a British national, can appeal the ruling within 10 days.

Lately, there has been increased proliferation of illegal IPTV services in the country through platforms such as UKTV Abroad, IP888 TV, Prime TV and Expat TV. OSN and the authorities have stepped up measures to make the public aware and clamp down on illegal operators.

David Butorac, Chief Executive Officer of OSN, said: “This is a major victory in our fight against the new and evolving forms of television piracy. It reiterates that distributing and accessing illegal IPTV services is a crime punishable by law. The court ruling will serve as a deterrent for other such providers and also help strengthen awareness among the public about IPTV piracy. 

“The UAE’s TV industry is rich and varied with several providers offering legal access to high quality Western content. Illegal IPTV services affect providers who are investing significantly in bringing such content and causing loss to the economy.”

The fight against illegal IPTV services has been further fortified with governmental agencies adopting sophisticated equipment to locate law-breaking vendors effortlessly. The authorities have urged the public to be cautious in using such illegal services as accessing content is also prohibited by UAE law. 

OSN has been leading efforts to curb TV piracy through its ‘Do the Right Thing’ campaign. Raids have been carried out in all seven emirates predominantly to curb the illegal distribution of Dish TV services. Several unauthorised operators have been fined, shops closed and equipment confiscated.