Hotel Country Inn raided for illegally broadcasting ESPN Star Sports channels

FIR filed at the behest of ESPN Software India; set-top box, 20 satellite cards and a LCD television seized by police

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | October 11, 2012

ESPN Software India, the sole and exclusive licensee for distributing ESPN, Star Sports and Star Cricket channels in India, stepped up its battle against piracy in the hotel industry. Taking swift action on a report filed by Prime Protection Pvt. Ltd, the local police raided Hotel Country Inn based at District Centre, Saket, for illegally showing the channels.

During the raid, the police arrested a technical staff of the hotel and also seized a LCD television, a set-top box and 20 satellite cards which were being used to illegally broadcast ESPN, Star Sports and Star Cricket channels.

The hotel had violated the provisions of the relevant TRAI tariff order by broadcasting ESPN, Star Sports and Star Cricket channels without mutual agreement with ESPN Software India. The mandatory requirement is that commercial subscribers falling under the specific categories, including hotels with rating of three stars and above, heritage hotels or any other hotel, motel, inn and such other commercial establishment providing boarding and lodging and having 50 or more rooms, have to take broadcast signals directly from the broadcaster unless the broadcaster has authorised any operator to provide such signals.

In this case, Hotel Country Inn which qualifies as a commercial subscriber within this category, was using unauthorised feed of a DTH player.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com