2 arrested over illegal streaming of overseas football matches at restaurant
Hong Kong Free Press
Two Hong Kong men have been arrested on suspicion of illegally streaming overseas football matches at a restaurant. It marks the first time local authorities have made arrests following new communication rights granted to copyright owners last year.
The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department raided a restaurant in Tung Chung on Sunday night, after receiving complaints that the eatery had streamed copyrighted football matches without authorisation.
Officers apprehended two men, aged 27 and 57 – the proprietor and employee of the restaurant. When the law enforcement agency arrived on the scene, more than one television was streaming a football match held abroad for patrons to watch, Senior Inspector Chow Lai-man of the Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau told the press on Monday.
The restaurant raided was located on the ground floor of a shopping mall, with 80 to 100 seats. It provides alcoholic drinks to its customers and operates until late night.
The department seized allegedly illicit streaming devices, audio-visual equipment and internet devices valued at around HK$18,000. The case is still under investigation and the department did not rule out the possibility of making further arrests, Chow said.
“Hong Kong Customs reminds merchants not to take part in activities involving unauthorised streaming of copyrighted works. Citizens should also respect intellectual property and avoid watching infringed copyrighted works through illegal streaming,” Chow said in Cantonese, adding that illicit streaming applications or links may contain computer viruses or malware.
Communication rights
Amendments to the Copyright Ordinance came into effect last May, with additions that the authorities described as more robust and comprehensive protections in favour of copyright owners in the digital environment.
The new communication rights are a “technology-neutral exclusive right” for copyright owners to communicate their works to the public through any mode of electronic transmission. It includes streaming of any copyrighted music, movie, or television drama to the public for listening or watching on demand or live.
Copyright owners may take action against unauthorised communication of their work by filing a civil case. Incident could also be pursued as a criminal matter, if the copyrighted work was disseminated to the public for profit or reward.
The maximum penalty is a HK$50,000 fine for each infringed work, and four years of imprisonment.
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