Dish Network awarded $51M in anti-piracy case

ENGLEWOOD, CO – Chalk up an anti-piracy victory for U.S. DTH operators Dish Network, EchoStar Technologies and NagraStar.A Florida federal court has issued a US$51 million dollar judgment against Robert Ward, after he posted software on the Internet that allowed individuals to illegally receive Dish Network programming using free-to-air receivers.In the summary judgment decision, the court made two significant holdings that could strengthen the companies' ability to pursue pirates in the future. The court held that the posting of pirate software constitutes a violation of the Federal Communications Act, and that statutory damages should be calculated based on how many individuals...