MONTRÉAL, Aug. 12, 2021 /CNW
Telbec/ - Bell today welcomed a ruling by the Federal Court of
Canada that orders a group of set-top box retailers to shut down
operations and pay close to $30
million in damages and costs for making content available
without authorization and inducing Canadians to access that content
illegally.
"Bell invests hundreds of millions of dollars every year to
develop, produce, acquire and deliver great Canadian and
international content over multiple platforms, but content piracy
continues to undermine the entire media industry, including the
work of many Canadians," said Wade
Oosterman, President Bell
Media and Vice Chair, BCE and Bell. "By imposing stiff
financial penalties on companies that enable and promote
unauthorized access to content online and via set-top box add-ons,
the Federal Court has sent a clear message."
In its ruling, the Federal Court found that three set-top box
retailers and one individual (a director with one of the retailers)
had distributed, offered for sale, sold, operated and possessed
equipment used or intended to enable unauthorized and illegal
access to content. Noting that "the growth of the illicit
pre-loaded set-top box industry underscores the need to deter
infringement", the Court granted permanent injunctions against the
retailers and ordered them to pay statutory damages totalling
$29.3 million plus punitive damages
and other costs.
The Federal Court's decision released on August 10, 2021, is the direct result of legal
action initiated by the media and distribution business unit of
Bell and other media companies in Canada.
The negative financial impact of TV piracy on Canadian
broadcasters and distributors is in the range of $500 million to $650
million per year, affecting thousands of jobs across the
industry. Added to this, an estimated 1 in 3 piracy websites
contain malware that can put personal information – for example,
passwords and credit card information – and other data on shared
networks and devices at risk. This judgment sends a clear signal
that other entities who enable illegal and unauthorized access to
content will face stiff legal repercussions.
To address the harms caused by the availability of illegal
content, Bell supports a comprehensive approach that would include
additional measures by the federal government and the Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to curb
content piracy, such as facilitating the removal of stolen content
from online platforms and the disabling of access to websites
distributing illegal content.
About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications
company, providing advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet media
and business communication services throughout the country. Founded
in Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn
more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.
Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a better
today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic
prosperity of our communities with a commitment to the highest
environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. This includes
the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental
health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell
Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and
access, research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout
the country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media Inquiries
Bell
Nathan Gibson
905-614-9596
nathan.gibson@bell.ca
@Bell_News
Investor inquiries
Bell
Thane Fotopoulos
514-870-4619
thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca
SOURCE Bell Canada