Following the Panorama broadcast on March 26, NDS issued the following statement.
“NDS is a global leader in the fight against pay-TV piracy, having repeatedly and successfully assisted law enforcement in that important effort.
Like most companies in the conditional access industry – and many law enforcement agencies – NDS uses industry contacts to track and catch both hackers and pirates. This is neither illegal nor unethical. And, to ensure that all activity remains completely within legal bounds, NDS staff and their contacts operate under a clear code of conduct for operating undercover.
These allegations were the subject of a long-running court case in the United States. This concluded with NDS being totally vindicated and its accuser having to pay almost $19m in costs – a point that the BBC neglected to include.
Regarding “Thoic” and Lee Gibling
NDS never used or sought to use the “Thoic” website for any illegal purpose. NDS paid Lee Gibling for his expertise so information from “Thoic” could be used to track and catch hackers and pirates.
Canal Plus
Canal Plus is and has been a customer of NDS for many years, and we maintain a good relationship with them. It is wrong to suggest that any NDS employee acted in any improper way.
ONdigital / ITV Digital
It is simply not true that NDS used the Thoic website to sabotage the commercial interests of ONdigital / ITV Digital or indeed any rival. The United States Department of Justice, a federal court jury, a federal trial court, and a federal appellate court have all rejected allegations that NDS was responsible for TV piracy or that NDS distributed codes that facilitated that piracy.
As part of the fight against pay-TV piracy, all companies in the conditional access industry – and many law enforcement agencies – come to possess codes that could enable hackers to access services for free.
It is wrong to claim that NDS has ever been in the possession of any codes for the purpose of promoting hacking or piracy.
Davide Rossi
NDS wholly refutes the allegation that Mr Rossi acted illegally on behalf of NDS. NDS is not a defendant in the trial in Sicily or any other.”
