APMI Press Release October 23, 2012
BANDUNG – The laws on piracy and illegal cable broadcasts have ensnared Sujiono, the owner of PT Mandala Haji Vision. His case has now progressed to the level of the High Court, as the West Java Prosecutor’s Office continues the legal process. An appearance of the suspect along with his case file was held on Thursday 11/10, in the High Court of Bandung.
The West Java Police have accused Sujiono with piracy and illegal cable TV broadcasts. He is alleged to have violated Law No. 19 (Year 2002) on Copyright, by distributing a channel / channels re-broadcast without permission from the official broadcast pay TV operators in Indonesia. The suspect was also charged with violating Law No. 32 (Year 2002) on Broadcasting, because it does not have a broadcast license.
Responding to the course of these proceedings, the Association of Multimedia Indonesia (APMI) expressed appreciation for the performance law enforcement officers in West Java. Speaking for the subscription television industry, the Association declared this to be a very good effort in law enforcement, especially relating to the Copyright Act and the Broadcasting Act.
“We strongly support and encourage the continued efforts of law enforcement like this. The legal process should continue against those who have broken the law and hurt the legitimate industry,” said APMI’s Legal Coordinator Handiomono to reporters on Thursday (11/10).
Handiomono said the legal action is a form of protection for the sustainability of the subscription television industry in Indonesia. He said the growth of illegal cable TV has been very high and is potentially detrimental to the authorized operators. “It certainly cannot be allowed that cable TV operators who operate illegally without a license, then hijack premium broadcast channels, which they redistribute for personal profit,” he said. Therefore, he said he hoped the High Court would work in a professional and transparent manner, following the laws that ensnared Mandala Haji Cable Vision.
According to Handiomono, Mandala Haji Vision is one of several cable TV network operators whose operations in West Java are substantially illegal. In addition to operating in the region of Cileunyi, Sujiono has also been expanding the company’s business up to Garut. “The number of recipients has reached more than 500 customers and it has lasted over a year,” he explained.
“We are optimistic that these legal proceedings will run in a transparent and professional manner. We hope that these proceedings will set a positive precedent and an example for similar law enforcement efforts in other parts of Indonesia,” said Handiomono.
Furthermore, he also noted, such proceedings also rely on the care and consideration of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in providing broadcasting license (IPP) to the (legal) cable TV operators.
For information, similar legal processes are already underway in other parts of Indonesia. In Bangka Belitung a piracy case concerning broadcasts by cable TV operators there have already entered the trial stage, while in Pare-Pare a cable TV operator has had his case sent to the courts by the police.
Machine Translation – Original release can be found here:http://www.apmi.or.id/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59:apmi-dorong-kejaksaan-proses-hukum-kasus-tv-kabel-ilegal&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50
* * *
RELATED STORY
Riau Police Check A Case Witnesses Illegal Cable TV
Tuesday, February 22, 2011, BATAM – MICOM: Kepulauan Riau Regional Police moved quickly to follow up control of some illegal cable TV operators in the area of Batam. A number of witnesses began to be called and examined by investigators Polda Riau Islands to the continuation of legal proceedings against cable TV operators who do broadcast piracy.
Summoning and examination of witnesses has been made on Thursday (17 / 2). A number of witnesses to be examined is the customers cable TV, ranging among household up to five-star hotel manager who also gets supplies from cable TV broadcasts illegally in Batam.
As reported previously crowded, Riau Islands Police in cooperation with the Association of Multimedia Indonesia (APMI) has also conducted a number of investigations and raids against cable TV operators in the area of Batam. As a result, broadcasting is still very rampant piracy occurs in Batam. Even allegedly almost all hotels in Batam region supplied by the cable TV broadcasts illegally.
Secretary-General APMI Sinulingga Mahendra Arya said, testimony of witnesses is very necessary to know how the piracy of illegally broadcast by cable TV operators in Batam. “From the investigation it was found that they (the witnesses) as a customer and enjoy the broadcast from the party that is not the legitimate owners of broadcasting rights,” said Mahendra Arya, in a press release on Friday (18 / 2).
According to Arya, APMI has been also been indicated that many five-star hotel in Batam is a subscriber and get a supply of broadcasting illegally from the cable TV operators. As a result, members of APMI which is a subscription television providers suffer losses that are not small.
“I think the hotel has also become victims of pirate operators of this release. Thus the description of them would very significantly assist law enforcement in the disciplined cable TV industry in Batam,” he said.
Dir Kepri Adjunct Criminal Police Commissioner Wibowo via Adj I Adjunct Commissioner Asrial Kurniansyah states witness examination process necessary to determine the extent of the law against copyright violations and subscription television broadcasting rights have been dilangga by illegal cable TV operators in Batam. The assessment was made clear tesebut witness a violation of law by the cable TV operators to hijack broadcast and broadcast illegally redistribute to its customers. (OL-5)