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The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) and the Police jointly mounted two successful raiding operations against the sale of unauthorized cable TV decoders last Wednesday and Friday (June 23 and 25) in the Shamshuipo area.

A total of 163 suspected unauthorized cable TV decoders were seized and 12 persons were taken to the police station to assist in further investigation.

Under section 6 of the Broadcasting Ordinance (Cap 562), a person shall not, in the course of trade or business, import, export, manufacture, sell, offer for sale or let for hire an unauthorized (TV) decoder. Any person contravening the prohibition commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $100,000 and to imprisonment for two years; or on conviction on indictment to a fine of $1,000,000 and to imprisonment for five years.

A spokesperson for OFTA warned traders not to sell unauthorized TV decoders as OFTA would keep monitoring closely the situation and take prompt enforcement action against such illegal trading activities.

"Hong Kong Cable Television Ltd. (HKCTV), changes the encryption arrangement of the system from time to time so as to protect its programmes from being decoded by illegal TV decoders.

"Consumers should not procure any unauthorized TV decoders from an illegal supplier as they would suffer financial loss when the decoders become useless," the spokesperson said.

Ends/Sunday, June 27, 2004

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