Canadians Indicted on Piracy Charges

[Gregg Lengling]

Late last week, a federal grand jury in Tennessee returned multiple-count indictments charging Canadian-based companies and individuals with alleged unlawful manufacturing and distribution of satellite TV reception equipment.

According to Terrell Harris, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, Discount Satellite And Equipment Sales, Advance Digital, David W. Dawson, Todd Dale, and Ken Dawson, all of Edmonton, Alberta, face a 32 count indictment charging them with unlawfully distributing satellite TV reception equipment. Also filed was a separate 49 count indictment charging VCipher Technologies, Avantec Communications, R & R Software, Amis Communications, Reginald Scullion, And Francis Callan, of Rigaud, Quebec, with unlawfully manufacturing and distributing satellite equipment, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Memphis said.

The indictments allege that the defendants conspired to manufacture, assemble, modify and sell equipment that enabled purchasers to fraudulently view encrypted digital satellite television programming without paying a subscription. The indictments also allege that the conspirators used the U.S. Postal Service, Federal Express, and others to ship equipment to and from the United States into Canada.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the alleged schemes cost DirecTV revenue in excess of $4 million and $5 million, respectively.