Copyright Infringement Taiwan: Criminal Crackdown on Illegal TV Viewing App “晴天TV” and  Illicit Streaming Devices; Two Operators Arrested

According to information from CODA, on July 9, 2024, the Intellectual Property Rights Investigation Corps of the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) conducted a search in Taichung City and Yunlin County for the illegal TV viewing app “晴天TV” and the “pirate recording station,” which illegally provided broadcast signals for Illicit Streaming Devices (ISD). Two suspects who were offering broadcast programs from Japan and other countries to viewers through “晴天TV” were arrested. In response, on August 8, the CIB issued a press release on the matter.

During the search of the locations related to “晴天TV” at the time of the arrests, a total of 269 items were seized, including 72 ISDs, 72 decoders, 2 servers, and 2 computers. The investigation revealed that “晴天TV” had been in operation for two years, with over 1,000 units already sold, and the estimated damages exceed 1 billion Taiwan dollars (approximately 4.5 billion yen as of August 9). In response to this incident, the police are once again warning that using illegal TV viewing apps and ISDs not only supports the infringement activities of illegal operators but also harms the rights holders and can lead to the risk of personal information leaks.

CODA has been cooperating with the Telecommunications Investigation Corp under the command of the CIB in investigating internet crimes in Taiwan related to Japanese content, including ISDs, illegal apps, and infringing websites, leading to the criminal crackdown on numerous infringement cases. CODA will continue to work closely with local investigative agencies to protect Japanese content in Taiwan.

This activity was part of a project entrusted from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Scene of the press conference
Seized APP, ISD and other equipment

(translated by automatic translation system)

■About the CODA project “Joint Enforcement”
 https://coda-cj.jp/en/activity/enforcement/

■Reference release:The Criminal Investigation Bureau in Taiwan and IFACT-GC, a Greater China intellectual property protection organization, visits CODA
https://coda-cj.jp/en/news/334/
■Reference release:Presentation of a plaque of appreciation to the Criminal Investigation Bureau and IPR police in Taiwan
https://coda-cj.jp/en/news/274/

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About CODA
CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Association) was established in 2002 at the call of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Agency for Cultural Affairs to promote the overseas development of Japanese content and take anti-piracy measures. Japan’s proud content, including music, movies, anime, broadcast programs, video games, and publishing, plays an important role in enhancing the nation’s international presence and economic growth. As digital technology becomes more widespread, it is even more significant to protect Japan’s content from increasingly artful copyright infringement and promote the content industry’s development. CODA contributes to the deterrence and detection of online and other piracy, by sharing knowledge with relevant government agencies, organizations, and companies in Japan and abroad, to engage in direct and indirect anti-piracy measures, as well as public relations activities. Visit https://coda-cj.jp/en/activity/ for more information on CODA’s projects.

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