Jail for Sim Lim Square shop owner who sold illegal streaming devices online
This is the third conviction from a 2022 raid on shops selling pirate set-top boxes in the mall famous for electronic products.
Sim Lim Square. (File Photo: CNA/Calvin Oh)
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SINGAPORE: A woman who sold illegal streaming devices for football matches was jailed for 22 months, while her company was fined S$384,000 (US$295,000) on Tuesday (Nov 18).
Yu Peng Hsueh-Shu was the director of Amconics Technology, which sold the pirate set-top boxes online and in Sim Lim Square.
The 68-year-old and her company each pleaded guilty to 14 charges, with 26 charges considered for sentencing.
This is the third conviction from an October 2022 raid in Sim Lim Square, where authorities seized more than 2,500 illegal streaming devices worth more than S$500,000.
Previously, another director was jailed for 10 months and his companies fined S$300,000. Another offender was jailed for six months and his business fined S$181,000.
Yu's case is the first such prosecution to involve extensive online sales activity, according to the Premier League, which has been working actively with authorities in Singapore and the region to crack down on piracy.
This marks a notable development in enforcement actions, the English football league said in a statement after the sentencing.
The sale of pirate set-top boxes is banned under the Copyright Act. This passed into law in September 2021.
"The sale of devices or services, whether through physical stores, social media or online marketplaces, is a crime that will result in severe sentences," said the Premier League's general counsel Kevin Plumb.
"We strongly urge fans to avoid pirate services found online, many of which carry significant risks, including exposure to scams, malware and fraud."
The league cited research showing that in Singapore, pirate websites are over 13 times riskier than mainstream sites in exposing users to scams.
An analysis of illegal streaming devices and pirate apps also found that users may unwittingly have their data hijacked and internet connection linked to criminal activity.
This exposes them to fraud, malware and even law enforcement investigations, the Premier League said.
