S’pore ISP Will Soon Block Illegal TV Box Apps That Stream Free Contents

A wise old man once said: “There’s a pirate inside each and every one of us, just waiting to appear and go ‘Hohoho'”.

And while I didn’t get what he was saying at first, I soon got it while growing up. Mysterious as it sounds, it’s actually pretty clear-cut.

Downloading illegal movies off Pirate Bay and going ‘Hohoho’, that is.

But of course, it’s not just Pirate Bay that grants you access to the Pirate class; a number of other piracy-violation sites fit the bill too. And I haven’t even touched on TV box applications, ‘sweet’ little gestures that make piracy so much more convenient.

And yet, if you’ve read the headline, you’ll know that good times don’t last. As such it’s with deep regret that I inform each and every one of you wannabe pirates, that the TV box applications we know and secretly love…

Are soon coming to a heart-wrenching end.

For according to Channel News Asia, the High Court has asked for Internet service providers to block off access to TV box applications that “allow users to stream and download content like movies, TV shows and live sports channels”.

Be a buyer, not a pirate

That begets the question, though;

How did such an abrupt move come into place?

Apparently, the development follows the hearing of a motion that had been filed in October by Singnet, Fox Networks Group Singapore, NGC Network Asia, Fox International Channels (US) and The Football Association Premier League.

And as such apps “flagrantly infringe copyright by acting as gateways to websites streaming pirated content”, according to the Asia Video Industry Association’s (AVIA) Coalition Against Piracy (CAP), the motion was eventually passed.

“These apps are preloaded on TV boxes which are overtly sold in retail outlets such as Sim Lim Square, IT exhibitions and on popular e-markets,” CAP added.

The motion was held in the High Court on 2 Nov, and Judicial Commissioner Dedar Singh Gill went on to approve the proposed orders against eight authentication server domains.

A real sucker punch for individuals who just got themselves a TV box, I’m sure.

Incidentally, one such app is UBTV, a pre-loaded app owned by China-based company Unblock Tech. According to its website, the app has more than 500 agents and distributors worldwide; and claims to service users from countries like Singapore, Malaysia, USA, Canada and the UK.

Malware

But perhaps there’s a silver lining in sight, as pirated content risk do, no matter how low, contain a risk of getting affected by malware. Indeed, as CAP general manager puts it…

“The appetite for free or paying cheap subscription rates for pirated applications found on ISDs blinkers some consumers from the real risks of malicious malware infection, such as spyware, ransomware and malware mining.”

Which is the reason why you’ll never see these apps in the Google Play Store, since apps in Google Play Store and iTunes would need approval and would be reviewed (for Apple, they have real people to review each app and its updates).

According to London-based Digital TV Research, online TV and movie piracy will cost the industry an estimated US$31.8 billion (S$42.9 billion) in global revenue this year. It’s predicted to hit US$51.6 billion by 2022.

“With rampant piracy, there would likely be less incentive for the content industry, including the Singaporean content industry, to grow and create,” Mr Gane said.

So perk up people

Because the end is not yet in sight.

Plus if you think about it, piracy isn’t the best policy anyway.

Honesty is. 🙂

So let’s all go down the straight path, and may our wallets rest in peace.

And if you’re still wondering, yes, there are many legit video streaming services in Singapore, unlike five years ago when our options were limited.

Heck, you can even rent online movies that are relatively new from Google Play Movies & TV.