Mexican courts uphold sales ban on Roku devices

Federal judges in Mexico City and Torreon have ruled to keep a ban on the sale of Roku streaming devices in place, reports local business daily El Economista. The decisions come after Mexico City courts last year banned the sale of Roku set-top boxes in the country after cable TV provider Cablevision complained that the OTT devices were being hacked to give viewers access to subscription content for free. The judged upheld the ban on the “importation, commercialisation and distribution” of Roku devices on the grounds that they could be used as an instrument for “dishonest commerce” in breach of Mexico’s copyright law.

The US content streaming company Roku replied that it would fight "vigorously" to restore sales of its STBs in Mexico while Cablevision said Roku should modify its devices to prevent piracy. “It is necessary for Roku to make adjustments to its software, like other online content distribution platforms, so that violations of copyrighted content do not take place,” reiterated Cablevision.