The government is to crack down on the sale of illegal set-top boxes for Internet portal television (IPTV), the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday, adding that the punishment would apply to manufacturers, distributors and retailers of the illegal devices.
Sellers complain that the devices give viewers unrestricted access to online content, the commission said.
However, not only are they not certified for safety, but sellers could infringe on copyright regulations by airing content without authorization from distributors and users could risk leaking personal information to third parties, it added.
The commission said the crackdown would not only apply to manufacturers of the boxes, but also to distributors and sellers, who would be penalized based the types of violations committed and the amount of profit made from selling the devices.
The commission last week fined Taipei-based HE Technology Information Co NT$140,000 for violating Article 49 of the Telecommunications Act (電信法) by selling uncertified IPTV set-top boxes.
The government requires that certification be acquired for the boxes to regulate the allocation and emission of radio waves and ensure that their use would not interfere with other electronic devices, the commission said.
These devices cannot be mass-produced, imported, sold or displayed publicly without first being certified, it said.
The commission also said that its certification only applies to the function of the radio-frequency devices and not to the content that could be accessed by them.
“When applying for certification, manufacturers must also submit an affidavit to guarantee that they are not violating regulations related to intellectual property rights,” the commission said.
“Manufacturers risk having their certifications annulled if a court rules that they have violated intellectual property regulations,” it added.
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