The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) applauded moves by the Australian government to increase the potential punishments for those found to be illegally accessing pay-television services in Australia. The decision could act as a trigger for other governments in the region to follow suit, CASBAA said.
“Australia’s leadership position in terms of transparent, even-handed regulation is a key indicator of the direction our industry needs to take across the Asia-Pacific,” CASBAA CEO Simon Twiston Davies said. “The Australian government statement that ‘criminal penalties should be available against those who access pay-TV broadcasts without authorization,’ sets a new benchmark for the industry.”
According to CASBAA, millions of dollars are lost to pay-television piracy across Asia. The association estimated in 2004 that companies in Australia lost about $37.5 million on an annual basis to pay-television piracy, while losses in Thailand were estimated at $141 million; the Philippines $70 million; and Taiwan $114 million.
