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So you’ve decided to steal cable?

Two Victorian were charged yesterday with allegedly making and selling fake pay TV cards which give viewers access to Foxtel and Austar without a subscription.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) raided properties in three states and said they believed up to 50,000 cards could be circulating across Australia.

The AFP executed 10 search warrants, seizing hundreds of the fake cards and set-top decoders in Victoria, NSW and Queensland during their six-month investigation.

They also seized $169,000 in cash and several computers from one Sydney property.

Rodney Doove, 42 from Mount Waverley in Melbourne’s east, was granted bail after appearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday.

The matter was adjourned until July 9 for a committal mention.

A 27-year-old Sebastopol man is due to face court in Ballarat today.

They are charged with making, distributing and selling fake smart cards and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

Chief executive officer of the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association Debra Richards said the industry was committed to ensuring those who committed piracy were brought to justice.

“Continued piracy will threaten the industry and jobs,” Ms Richards said. “It could also drive up the cost of subscription.”

Source: news.com.au

3 Responses

  1. Raise the price? I don’t think so, Foxtel already charge so much it couldn’t possibly go any higher without pissing people off for good.

    And does anyone even ask why prices are so high in the first place? We need more competition and people who aren’t afraid to stand up against Foxtel and demand better services. The ACCC are clearly useless.

    I remember when Foxtel kept upping the analogue price to try and force people to go digital. Turned me off them completely.

    We clearly need more operators so Foxtel doesn’t have such a large monopoly on all things pay-tv.

  2. Sounds like a great idea for The Wire series 6. “Hey Lt, we got our target talking about a tv package on the wire.”

    It does seem a strange target for the feds. Is Foxtel paying for the cops christmas party or seomthing?

  3. Sorry but pay tv is a rip off! It’s amazing the police aren’t charging foxtel or optus for stealing off customers and add phone bills on top of that.

    The way they get you to sign up under their conditions so you spend the maximum amount of money and you can’t even pick and choose your own channels which I think you should be allowed to.

    Yeah they committed a crime but I have no sympathy for both sides.

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