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By Desmond Ng
PSST, want free unlimited access to StarHub's 120 channels?
If you think that's too good to be true, you're right - as Vision Your Gadget Station Pte Ltd will tell you.
The company tried selling illegal decoders and had to apologise to StarHub in The Straits Times last Wednesday.
In the advertisement, the company apologised for importing set-top boxes which may be used to illegally decode the company's encrypted broadcast transmissions.
It had contravened the Copyright Act and the Broadcast Act.
Under the Act, those who sell or have such illegal decoders at home face a hefty $40,000 fine and jail of up to three years.
But The New Paper understands that StarHub is not taking any criminal or civil action against the company. {SEE CORRECTION ABOVE}
In the ad, the company also pledged to stop importing or selling such boxes and infringing StarHub's rights.
If it does, the company will be subjected to criminal and civil proceedings, and penalties.
Ms Ong Bee Lian, head of StarHub's pay-TV & entertainment division, said that Vision Your Gadget Station was found with the illegal set-top boxes by Singapore Customs.
Ms Ong said StarHub has the means to detect unauthorised dealers and viewers but would prefer not to divulge its methods.
She added that people who buy these set-top boxes may experience poor service quality. They are also exposing themselves to criminal and personal liabilities.
StarHub said they do get leads from their customers, public and from their own investigations on illegal set-top boxes.
StarHub added it has been giving unauthorised decoder sellers verbal and written warnings, before resorting to legal means.
Vision Your Gadget Station has outlets in Toa Payoh and Bukit Merah.
The New Paper's calls to the company director's handphone went unanswered.
StarHub's most recent successful prosecution before the Vision Your Gadget Station case was in September last year, when Chong Kim Siong pleaded guilty to three charges of selling unauthorised set-top boxes at Sim Lim Tower.
Chong was fined $60,000.
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