The court of Tongeren, Belgium, has sentenced a Dutchman and a Belgian to twelve months prison for operating a card sharing server.
With cardsharing is a smart card with linked subscription over the internet – usually against payment – is shared. This allows no paid subscription to the channel selection of TV watching provider. Especially with satellite cardsharing is increasingly used.
The Belgian court sentenced the two men to a prison term of twelve months, of which six months are on probation.
In addition, the court imposed a fine of EUR5,500. In addition, the two men may face claim damages of more than EUR26,000 to be p[aid to Luxembourg media company M7 Group SA, which owns the DTH platforms Canal Digital and TV Vlaanderen.
In the case against the card sharing service, the M7 Group SA cooperated with Nagra and Irdeto and justice in Belgium. This is the second case in which the companies are successful in acting against card sharing services. Late last year, a Belgian man was sentenced to ten months in prison.
European TV providers see the ruling of the Belgian court as a catalyst to continue the fight against cardsharing.
“The prison sentence against these two men gives a signal to people who are currently with cardsharing services. They can now be traced and prosecuted,” said Ton Herremans, lawyer for the M7 group.