A man accused of selling Android TV boxes allowing access to premium copyright protected content, including that of DStv, has been found guilty of seven counts of contravening section 45 of the Regulation of Interception of Communication and Provision of Communication related information Act 70 of 2002.
Jordan Lee Mott was arrested in October 2020 by detectives from the Provincial Commercial Unit. He appeared in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Court, where he was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, wholly suspended for a period of five years – on condition the accused is not convicted again for contravening the provisions of the Act.
MultiChoice and Irdeto, a leader in digital platform cybersecurity, welcomed the judgment on copyright infringement.
“This conviction is a significant moment in the fight against piracy. However, it must be noted that this conviction is only a snapshot of the true nature of piracy,” said MultiChoice Group executive for corporate affairs, Collen Dlamini.
“Although the decision by the court is welcomed, there is more that needs to be done in terms of minimising the negative impact of piracy on content creation and the economy. It is important that we work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators of piracy face the might of the law. As we intensify our efforts to fight piracy I hope more convictions will follow,” he added.
In addition, a confiscation order was ordered in terms of section 18 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998 (POCA). The accused was also ordered to pay R60 000 into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA).
MultiChoice has also thrown its weight behind Partners Against Piracy (PAP), a Pan-African campaign to fight content piracy. PAP works to protect the livelihoods of the thousands of creatives and broadcast professionals and support the local economy.
“As piracy and cyber crimes rapidly increase it is important for us to remain vigilant and agile and ensure that perpetrators of digital crimes are bought to book,” Dlamini added. “The conviction of the accused should be a warning to other perpetrators who are driving this illegal economy. Illegally sharing content leads to severe revenue losses, and cripple’s economies, which means reduced investment and job losses affecting economic development.”
