Russia’s leading pay-TV operator Tricolor TV has stepped up its fight against piracy both in its home market and in CIS countries.

In a statement, it says that in 2017 law enforcement officers instituted 21 administrative proceedings and 13 criminal cases in connection with the violation of its rights. It also blocked over 900 internet resources.

Tricolor TV adds that all told, law officers seized over 160 pieces of pirated equipment used in unlawful activities (65 pirate receivers, 46 smart cards, 44 microcircuits and cryptomodule and other equipment in 2017.

Significant results were achieved in combating digital piracy. In total, 13 criminal offences were opened in Russia and CIS during the reporting period and investigations continue into other cases.

Tricolor TV says that then next important direction of its anti-piracy activity will be suppressing the violation of copyright and related rights.

It investigates the illegal broadcasting of TV channels in public places and notes that most offences in the B2B segment can be resolved by pre-trial orders. Forty-seven contracts, or four times more than the previous year, were concluded in such a way in 2017.

Aside from blocking internet resources, Tricolor TV has also clamped down on the illegal use of its trademark, winning two court cases in Russia in 2017.

"Tricolor TV" blocked for 3,5 years more than 2,500 pirate sites


The largest Russian digital TV operator, Tricolor TV, continues a successful anti-piracy campaign in Russia and CIS countries. For the first half of 2017, at the initiative of the operator, more than 520 Internet resources were blocked, 10 criminal and 10 administrative cases were opened.

The results of anti-piracy activities of Tricolor TV for the first half of 2017 are summed up. As part of the work to curb illegal activities to unauthorized individuals to connect to digital television through the installation of pirated equipment and malicious programs, law enforcement officers seized more than 90 pieces of pirated equipment (62 pirate receivers, 23 smart cards, 3 personal computers and 2 programmers, and also cryptomodules and other equipment).

Ten criminal cases were opened in Russia and CIS countries, four of which were brought to court. Three of them convicted, sentenced by the courts under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Given the cases initiated by law enforcement agencies in 2016, 18 criminal cases were in the preliminary investigation for 6 months in 2017, four of them in the CIS countries. "Tricolor TV" continues to fight against pirate sites offering illegal access to satellite television channels. For the first half of 2017, at the request of the operator, more than 520 Internet resources were blocked, which is 10.6% more than in the same period last year.

Thus, since 2014, more than 2,500 pirate sites have been blocked. "Tricolor TV" also continues to work to stop violations of copyright and related rights. During the first half of 2017, as a result of inspections conducted by the employees of "Tricolor TV" together with representatives of the Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 10 cases of administrative violations were initiated. This is more than last year, and three of them have already made court decisions. On consideration of law enforcement bodies there are 23 more applications for bringing to administrative responsibility.

Recall that the b2b-segment of the paid TV market in 2016 reached 1.53 billion rubles. and will grow in the coming years at a faster pace than the general market, an average of 10.2% per year (data from the analytical agency TMT Consulting). This result was made possible, among other things, thanks to the effective struggle of operators with violation of copyright and related rights. So, the base of legal entities "Tricolor TV" at the end of the first half of 2017 increased by more than 60% compared to the same period last year. Separately, it should be noted violations in the field of copyright and related rights, admitted cable and IPTV operators, illegally relayed the content of "Tricolor TV." So, in the first half of 2017, inspections were carried out for 11 operators. As part of the claim work, one operator stopped the illegal actions, still in relation to several operators work continues.

Note: Google translation