english
October 1st, 2002, 08:44 AM
Quote From http://www.cablecastermagazine.com/article.asp?id=12307
TORONTO - Even former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna took his shots at illegal satellite dealers.
The keynote speaker at last week's Canadian Cable Systems Alliance annual general meeting reflected the main topic of the two-day gathering - which was centred on the illegal satellite market and what to do about it. In a nod to his audience, McKenna said that "until a few people are wearing striped pyjamas, you're not going to solve the problem."
Attendees then wanted to know, from the likes of Industry Canada's Jim Thiessen and the FVSO's Serge Corriveau - who took part in a panel Friday afternoon - are some people going to be wearing striped pyjamas?
Soon, they said. While Thiessen said his department can't actually tell the RCMP what to investigate, he has had meetings with the RCMP, Customs Canada, and Heritage Canada to exchange information, the last of which taking place September 18th.
"Things seem to be ramping up with the RCMP," Thiessen told the CCSA crowd. "It sounds like there's a lot of activity taking place, especially in Ontario and Quebec."
He also speculated that "some prosecutions before Christmas," will happen. "We're working with the RCMP and are hoping something will happen very soon."
Corriveau added that the Film and Video Security office of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association have been active in documenting illegal dish dealers both in stores and in cyberspace. "We have brought many cases to the RCMP," he added.
The FVSO has also sent cease and desist letters to some dealers, with some success, he said, as some web sites were removed.
However, he also urged cable operators in attendance to help out by keeping their own files on illegal dish dealers and buying examples of the equipment being sold. However, he cautioned not to activate the equipment and to use a debit card for the transaction, not a credit card, so that the dealers will not glean any personal information.
There are two things that need to be done in order for this illegal activity to stop, added Corriveau. One, the RCMP have to act and two, Customs must stop the equipment at the border. It does not do that now.
However, he is optimistic something is happening on the police front, saying, "we're hoping the RCMP will be doing something very soon."
But, is that enough? Bill MacKenzie, the lawyer who acted for Bell ExpressVu during its legal battle to the Supreme Court on the issue, says no. Some serious disincentive against illegally importing and selling this equipment must be built into the law, like in the U.S., where its statute boasts actual numbers in terms of fines and time spent in jail. In Canada, that is not the case.
MacKenzie urged the operators to take advantage of every time they bump into an MP. "The politicians need to be reminded they have not finished the job," he says.
MacKenzie was also confident that he will win the most recent court challenge to the Radiocommunications Act since the illegal dealers are trying to interpret the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms' freedom of expression clause as a right for them to steal programming.
ExpressVu has also acted on an other front, suing a dealer for $48 million for selling U.S. dishes which were repatriated by ExpressVu, back into the Canadian marketplace.
Part of the whole problem, say the AGM delegates, which is about to be addressed, is one of public perception. Many people are aware the activity is theft, but they view is "like speeding on a highway – as a victimless crime," said Chris Kelly of the Strategic Counsel.
His company compiled the survey released this summer which attempted to nail down the number of illegal dish users in Canada (up to 715,000), and then it embarked on some focus group research to figure out which messages would convince people that stealing U.S. signals is a crime and to stop.
His research suggested positioning the activity on the same level as shoplifting. He also said that cable operators should reference April's Supreme Court decision as often as possible and refrain from using colorful phrases such as pirates or black market and calling it theft and an illegal activity. "If it's positioned like shoplifting, it's more likely to be thought of as an illegal activity," Kelly said.
Also, operators should also stress that jobs will be lost due to losing customers who choose to steal U.S. signals, showing it's not, in fact, a victimless crime.
It has to be positioned as socially unacceptable, he explained, and "in the current environment, it is not seen that way."
"There needs to be a significant change in terms of public opinion."
What many are hoping will help change the public's opinion is a $500,000 series of public service announcements that will begin airing this month. Spear-headed by the Canadian Cable Television Association and the task force against signal theft, the ads will get the message across that satellite signal theft is a damaging crime.
But without enforcement of the law, it won't do much good, say operators, who want to believe that police will act sooner rather than later.
TORONTO - Even former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna took his shots at illegal satellite dealers.
The keynote speaker at last week's Canadian Cable Systems Alliance annual general meeting reflected the main topic of the two-day gathering - which was centred on the illegal satellite market and what to do about it. In a nod to his audience, McKenna said that "until a few people are wearing striped pyjamas, you're not going to solve the problem."
Attendees then wanted to know, from the likes of Industry Canada's Jim Thiessen and the FVSO's Serge Corriveau - who took part in a panel Friday afternoon - are some people going to be wearing striped pyjamas?
Soon, they said. While Thiessen said his department can't actually tell the RCMP what to investigate, he has had meetings with the RCMP, Customs Canada, and Heritage Canada to exchange information, the last of which taking place September 18th.
"Things seem to be ramping up with the RCMP," Thiessen told the CCSA crowd. "It sounds like there's a lot of activity taking place, especially in Ontario and Quebec."
He also speculated that "some prosecutions before Christmas," will happen. "We're working with the RCMP and are hoping something will happen very soon."
Corriveau added that the Film and Video Security office of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association have been active in documenting illegal dish dealers both in stores and in cyberspace. "We have brought many cases to the RCMP," he added.
The FVSO has also sent cease and desist letters to some dealers, with some success, he said, as some web sites were removed.
However, he also urged cable operators in attendance to help out by keeping their own files on illegal dish dealers and buying examples of the equipment being sold. However, he cautioned not to activate the equipment and to use a debit card for the transaction, not a credit card, so that the dealers will not glean any personal information.
There are two things that need to be done in order for this illegal activity to stop, added Corriveau. One, the RCMP have to act and two, Customs must stop the equipment at the border. It does not do that now.
However, he is optimistic something is happening on the police front, saying, "we're hoping the RCMP will be doing something very soon."
But, is that enough? Bill MacKenzie, the lawyer who acted for Bell ExpressVu during its legal battle to the Supreme Court on the issue, says no. Some serious disincentive against illegally importing and selling this equipment must be built into the law, like in the U.S., where its statute boasts actual numbers in terms of fines and time spent in jail. In Canada, that is not the case.
MacKenzie urged the operators to take advantage of every time they bump into an MP. "The politicians need to be reminded they have not finished the job," he says.
MacKenzie was also confident that he will win the most recent court challenge to the Radiocommunications Act since the illegal dealers are trying to interpret the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms' freedom of expression clause as a right for them to steal programming.
ExpressVu has also acted on an other front, suing a dealer for $48 million for selling U.S. dishes which were repatriated by ExpressVu, back into the Canadian marketplace.
Part of the whole problem, say the AGM delegates, which is about to be addressed, is one of public perception. Many people are aware the activity is theft, but they view is "like speeding on a highway – as a victimless crime," said Chris Kelly of the Strategic Counsel.
His company compiled the survey released this summer which attempted to nail down the number of illegal dish users in Canada (up to 715,000), and then it embarked on some focus group research to figure out which messages would convince people that stealing U.S. signals is a crime and to stop.
His research suggested positioning the activity on the same level as shoplifting. He also said that cable operators should reference April's Supreme Court decision as often as possible and refrain from using colorful phrases such as pirates or black market and calling it theft and an illegal activity. "If it's positioned like shoplifting, it's more likely to be thought of as an illegal activity," Kelly said.
Also, operators should also stress that jobs will be lost due to losing customers who choose to steal U.S. signals, showing it's not, in fact, a victimless crime.
It has to be positioned as socially unacceptable, he explained, and "in the current environment, it is not seen that way."
"There needs to be a significant change in terms of public opinion."
What many are hoping will help change the public's opinion is a $500,000 series of public service announcements that will begin airing this month. Spear-headed by the Canadian Cable Television Association and the task force against signal theft, the ads will get the message across that satellite signal theft is a damaging crime.
But without enforcement of the law, it won't do much good, say operators, who want to believe that police will act sooner rather than later.