(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — A coalition of Arab television networks announced plans to institute legal proceedings against any illegal TV providers claiming to provide free Arabic programming in the United States.
Officials at the International Broadcasters Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) said they’re monitoring unauthorized video service providers and launching criminal investigations against them.
The group represents 90 television networks from the Middle East and South Asia.
“The purveyors of pirated content are often deceptive, leading customers to believe they are buying services with authorized channels when in fact many of the top channels are being pirated,” said Joe Boyle, an attorney for IBCAP.
Boyle said the coalition of Arab television networks have been successful in recent copyright cases.
“Customers of these services, many who have paid $300 or more for a set top box, are often left without their favorite channels when legal action occurs or the unauthorized services are shut down,” Boyle said.
Dubai-based broadcasting company MBC is a member of the coalition, which includes Lebanese networks LBC, LDC, MTV, NewTV, among others.
“We joined IBCAP after our channels were illegally marketed and sold by pirates, a rampant problem in the United States that we want to help solve,” said Fares Akkad, Head of Distribution for MBC. “While MBC content may be offered free-to-air in the Middle East, the same is not true for the U.S.”
IBCAP members including Al Jazeera Media Network and MBC recently filed a lawsuit in Federal Court in the Eastern District of Virginia against Cres IPTV, ShavaTV and related dealers for allegedly engaging in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted content.
Other lawsuits include a DISH Network federal suit against Global Satellit and its president Basem Halabi. The suit resulted in $956,649 in damages under the Copyright Act.
“We will not tolerate the illegal distribution of Arabic channels in the U.S.” said Karim Abdullah, CEO of IMD, distributor of channels such as ART, LBC, LDC, Hekayet and NewTV. “Through IBCAP and other efforts, we are tracking down those who are illegally broadcasting our content while at the same time raising consumer awareness about the dangers of purchasing devices with infringing content.”
In addition to filing lawsuits, IBCAP coordinates with U.S. trade offices, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and hardware and software manufacturers to monitor unauthorized distribution of their content.