Telecomms Authority warns against illegal streaming devices

The Telecommunications Authority of TT (TATT) is warning importers, retailers, and the public against the manufacture, importation, sale, distribution, and advertising of illegal streaming devices.

The warning was issued in collaboration with the Intellectual Property Office and the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs.

In a release, TATT said “illegal streaming devices are small media boxes, USB sticks, or other devices which are connected to your television and contain software that allow access to television stations, movies, sports channels, and other copyrighted content, without paying the applicable price or subscription. These devices do so by circumventing the technological protection measures designed to control access to the copyrighted content.”

On its website, TATT said “While the Android box and other streaming devices (eg Amazon Fire Stick, Roku box) are widely available, copyright infringement is facilitated when these devices are pre-installed or are modified with software which provides the user with access to unauthorised (pirated) content. Pirates upload content on the internet without the authorisation/permission of the content owner which is a copyright infringement.”

It said while illegal software can be installed on any device, the focus is on Android boxes and other streaming devices, as these are sold pre-installed with the software, allowing easier access to unauthorised content.

TATT said people who make, import, sell, or advertise these devices can face legal action and/or be prosecuted for offences under the Copyright Act, and offences carry a maximum fine of $250,000 and imprisonment for ten years.

It said anyonewho imports, sells, or advertises these devices for sale, whether online, in store, or otherwise, should stop doing so immediately.

It said TATT and the TTIPO will work with law enforcement agencies to prevent the importation and use of illegal streaming devices.

In 2018, TATT began consultations for a discussion paper on android boxes.

Android-box users were given the chance to petition the regulator to keep their devices. At the time, there were an estimated 60,000-80,000 Android boxes in Trinidad– an industry average calculated using the difference in the number of people with both a paid TV subscription broadband internet connection and the number of people who have just a broadband connection.