Following a trail of investigation that led to an apartment in a multi-family block in Krakow, police officers from Krakow’s Department for Combating Economic Crime of the District Police Headquarters reached the source of the illegal distribution of pay satellite TV signals through sharing.
The officers carried out the implementation on Tuesday (June 25 this year). An IT expert and a representative of the injured digital platforms, as well as a police forensic technician, took part in the action. On site, the police found a 49-year-old man living at a specified address.
During the operation, the man, asked by the officers about having infrastructure used for the unauthorized distribution of pay satellite TV signals, voluntarily indicated where it was located. Some of the equipment was placed in the kitchen cabinet, and another part was in the cabinet under the TV in the living room. An IT expert present at the scene confirmed that this was electronic equipment acting as “sharing” servers, i.e. used to illegally distribute television signals to unauthorized persons.
After inspecting the place, the officers secured all illegal infrastructure and electronic equipment. They determined that a 49-year-old man was responsible for building and operating it.
The total losses suffered by media companies were initially estimated at nearly PLN 65,000 (equivalent to about USD16,500.00).
Further reading
KRAKOW COUNTY. THE POLICE ELIMINATED THE ILLEGAL PRACTICE OF “SHARING”. Press release. June 26, 2024. Komenda Powiatowa Policji w Krakowie (Poland)
The police closed down an illegal TV signal sharing point: a 49 year-old man from Krakow was detained. Press release. June 28, 2024. Sygnal anti-piracy organization (Poland)
Why it matters
The perpetrator was arrested and on the same day at the District Police Headquarters in Krakow he was charged with providing prohibited services, consisting in illegally providing digital television (Article 6(1) and (2) in connection with Article 7(1) of the Act on the Protection of Services Provided electronically based on or involving conditional access). For this crime, the suspect faces a penalty of up to 3 years in prison.
