Astro’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Tai Kam Leong, has asserted the company’s commitment to taking strong measures against individuals caught streaming or displaying its copyrighted content.
He expressed satisfaction with the positive legal action outcomes against those engaging in such illicit activities, emphasizing the detrimental impact of piracy on Astro’s ability to serve content enthusiasts and invest in premium Malaysian content, according to Bernama.
In a recent statement, Tai Kam Leong revealed that Astro has pursued civil suits against a food and beverages (F&B) outlet and a boutique hotel in Cameron Highlands.
Both establishments have agreed to pay a total of RM55,000 in damages, issue a public apology through the media, and cease infringing on Astro’s copyright. Additionally, they have committed to an Astro commercial subscription valued at RM53,000 in total.
The basis for Astro’s legal claims stems from a High Court ruling in November 2022, following its landmark case with the Premier League. This ruling established the illegality of commercial premises displaying content to the public from unauthorised sources, including Astro broadcasts without the requisite commercial license.
Astro has stressed that screening and displaying its copyrighted content in business premises without consent or license constitute copyright infringement under Section 36 of the Copyright Act 1987.
In a separate case, Astro reported that an individual was fined RM12,000 by the Ampang Session Court for selling TV Boxes with unauthorized Astro content.
The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to the offense on February 16, admitting to possessing three Android TV boxes, two of which were preloaded with unauthorised Astro content at an outlet in Ampang, Selangor, on 30 March 2023.
