Yvonne Tang quoted in Asia IP article on illegal streaming devices in online marketplaces

03 Dec 2024

Director Yvonne Tang was featured in a recent Asia IP article discussing Singapore's strengthened efforts against illegal streaming devices under the Copyright Act 2021, particularly Section 150. The Act addresses infringement by making a device or providing service, etc., to access works communicated without authority. “This is a punishable offence under Section 445 read with Section 447(2) of the Copyright Act 2021. Active steps have been taken to enforce such laws in Singapore through police raids and court actions.”

Yvonne also shared of one such police raid that took place in 2022 at Sim Lim Square shopping mall that resulted in a seizure of over 2,500 sets of illegal streaming devices in the process. The court judgment pertaining to this raid, which was handed out recently, was the first case dealing with Section 150 offences. “Having such measures in place to crack down on the sale of illegal streaming devices is especially important in the era of internet, where ecommerce platforms such as Lazada make it even easier to commit such acts of infringement, as sellers can easily list their illegal streaming devices for sale on such platforms,” said Yvonne.

To tackle these issues, Yvonne emphasised the importance of collaboration between the government and e-commerce platforms, noting the challenges of tracking and enforcing laws against sellers, particularly those based overseas, and stressed that a united effort is essential for effectively curbing these infringements.

You may click here to read the full article that appears on Asia IP.

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