STB Piracy: Court awards nearly $30M to Bell, Rogers, Quebecor

By Denis Carmel OTTAWA – In a ruling issued this week, Federal Court Justice Fuhrer awarded $29.7 million to a group of Canadian media (Bell Media, Rogers Media and TVA) and distribution companies (Bell Canada and Bell ExpressVu, Rogers Cable and Vidéotron) as compensation for lost revenues, punitive damages and legal costs. The defendants (INL3D, Morcor and Ottawa Tek) have advertised, offered for sale and sold preloaded set-top boxes (STB) and IPTV services, therefore distributing content illegally without authorization from rights holders, depriving them of significant revenues. These companies did not offer a defence, but the Court ruled against them,...