[September 05, 2011] NCC Impounds N1.4 Million Broadcast Signal-Hacking Devices Tweet Sep 05, 2011 (Daily Champion/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- Operatives of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) have again swooped on Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos in a bid to burst a new trend of importation, marketing and exploitation of high-tech micro-boxes for hacking into, or pirating of encoded broadcast signals, mostly of pay TV stations in the country. Acting on intelligence and surveillance reports, Copyright Inspectors with armed police back-up, stormed the electronics section of the market in Lagos recently in an anti-piracy operation. One Samuel Obiabumuo, a suspected piracy baron and major importer of infringing Avatar Micro-boxes, was arrested for stocking and marketing of the illegal broadcast-signal hacking gadgets. 72 units of the Avatar Micro-boxes used for broadcast signal- hacking, estimated at N1.4 million (about N20,000 per unit) was impounded during the raid on Shop No. B270 in the market, being operated under the corporate name, Sobis Communications Limited. Other brand names of the hacking device include Strong, Eurostar, Superstar, Supermax, Kawk and Supermas. Investigations revealed that the multipurpose broadcast signal-hacking device has the capacity to decode copyright-protected, encrypted signals; receive such signals from any part of the world and transmit such to as many television sets that are connected to it. According to NCC enforcement operatives, the signal-hacking device comes as a micro system comprising a brain box, a mini satellite dish and some sophisticated adaptors. Once it is mounted, it could receive without any subscription to all encoded cable TV signals, with a high likelihood of also hacking into the sensitive security transmissions from public and private enforcement agencies. Investigations further revealed that the device is being used on commercial basis in various parts of the country for unauthorized access and house-to- house wiring and transmission of popular cable TV programmes like English Premier League (EPL) matches, local and foreign home videos and ponographic movies, among others. This trend, it has been found, is now short-changing international and local cable TV organizations like DSTV and HiTV, among others. The broadcast stations are allegedly losing millions of Naira to the illegal trafficking in broadcast signal-hacking devices. Investigation continues as the arrested suspect would be prosecuted on conclusion of the exercise. Speaking on the development, the Director-General of NCC, Mr. Afam Ezekude, stated that NCC under his administration has declared Alaba International Market a major project until piracy is reduced to the barest minimum. The Director-General said the raid was an indication of the commission's renewed commitment to its regulatory and enforcement mandate. He warned pirates that it would no longer be business as usual and reassured stakeholders in the creative community of the commission's continued commitment to its policy of zero tolerance of piracy. It would be recalled that the commission has carried out several antipiracy operations in Alaba Market in the last eight months. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]