“Popular Nasi Kandar Chain Slapped with RM200k Fine for Illegally Streaming Astro Shows”
Source: World Of Buzz
A popular Nasi Kandar chain is in hot water after being hit with a hefty RM221,773.20 fine for streaming Astro programs illegally at several of its outlets.
In an official statement, Astro revealed that Thaqwa (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd agreed to pay the substantial sum to Measat Broadcast Systems Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad. The fine comes after Thaqwa was caught violating its subscription terms by broadcasting Astro content at multiple restaurants without proper authorization.
Here’s the kicker: Thaqwa only had valid subscriptions for two of its locations, but that didn’t stop them from streaming Astro content at eight other outlets using smart cards and decoder boxes.
To avoid further trouble, Thaqwa also agreed to make sure their Astro subscription is only used in authorized locations, respecting Astro’s copyright and intellectual property.
Astro’s Chief of Sales and Marketing, Tai Kam Leong, made it clear that this isn’t an isolated incident. He mentioned that Astro is aggressively pursuing other similar cases to protect their intellectual property rights. For instance:
- A 22-year-old in Ipoh was slapped with a RM10,000 fine for selling Android Boxes loaded with Astro content.
- Two men in Seremban faced similar charges; one pleaded not guilty and was released on RM7,000 bail, while the other pleaded guilty and paid a RM10,000 fine.
Kam Leong emphasized that Astro is fully committed to fighting digital piracy, which he says is a major threat to the media and creative industries. He also stressed that this crackdown is part of Astro’s broader effort to ensure that creators and artists are fairly compensated for their work.
In a landmark ruling by the High Court in November 2022, it was declared illegal for commercial premises to publicly show content from unauthorized sources, including Astro broadcasts, without the proper commercial license.
So, if you’ve been casually streaming illegal content at your place, consider this a serious warning.
