Korea, Philippine gov'ts arrest illegal streaming operator targeting Korean residents in Philippines

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Korea, Philippine gov'ts arrest illegal streaming operator targeting Korean residents in Philippines

Published: 06 Nov. 2024, 14:13

An illegal streaming platform [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Korea and the Philippines jointly apprehended an operator of an illegal live TV streaming service targeting Korean residents in the Philippines, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on Wednesday.

This arrest was achieved through joint efforts by the Culture Ministry, the National Police Agency, Interpol and the Philippine government.

The apprehended illegal service provider operated a paid streaming service that broadcast over 60 live Korean TV channels and various other online video content, infringing on K-content copyrights.

This operation began when the rights holders, MBC and SLL, discovered K-content infringements in the Philippines and filed a complaint with the Busan Police Agency.

Based on concrete evidence and testimonies from the two companies regarding copyright infringement, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Police Agency began investigation in March.

The two government agencies sought cooperation from the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation and Interpol inviting them to Korea in June for an international collaboration meeting to ensure success, according to the Culture Ministry.

The suspect's devices confiscated by the Philippine police [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

This operation in the Philippines is part of a broader effort by the Culture Ministry and the National Police Agency to combat copyright crimes. In April 2021, they established a partnership with Interpol to implement the “Interpol-Stop Online Piracy” initiative.

In a separate development, the Culture Ministry held an international forum on copyright protection last September to strengthen international cooperation. During the forum, the ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia's Intellectual Property Office to protect copyrights in various ways.

“When K-content enters the international market, efforts to protect it must also extend internationally,” said Jung Hyang-mi, director-general of the ministry's regional culture policy bureau. “The Ministry will continue to expand international cooperation to protect K-content overseas and address global copyright crimes.”

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]