Although consumer tolerance of illegal broadcasting is fairly low in Lithuania, around 4.7% of households still receive pirated TV services.
In a statement announcing the completion of a project on copyright and related rights, the Lithuanian Cable Television Association (LKTA) says that it is much more difficult to protect DTH and internet TV than cable (both analogue and digital) and DTT services.
The LKTA adds that the project, which was partly funded by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture, consisted of four main components, namely a survey on illegal TV; an overview of the regulatory situation; an analysis of the technological environment; and identifying the harm illegal TV content does financially to the economy.
It found that the illegal distribution of TV programmes has many negative consequences. They include unfair competition; failure to ensure the rights of consumers; losses in tax revenues to the state; and loss of copyright fees, which damages to entire TV market.
The LKTA notes that providers of internet and TV services have of huge advantage over those who just offer the latter.
