Friday, March 4, 2005

DIRECTV Goes On Canadian Piracy Offensive

El Segundo-based DIRECTV said yesterday that it is going after 19 Canadian citizens and businesses that it says has pirated DIRECTV satellite signals and improperly activated customers. Lawsuits were filed against the Ontario-based individuals and their firms, who DIRECTV said pirated DIRECTV access cards and participated in grey market activity. DIRECTV has historically targeted satellite television pirates aggressively, and has even built in pirating counter-measures into its equipment, most recently a "self-destruct" feature which rendered pirated equipment inoperable. The company is engaged in similar lawsuits in the Florida and Utah.