Audio-visual content that people can access via digital media players might not be authorized content, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday, adding that the agency’s certification of the radio frequency devices did not extend to content accessible through the devices.
The devices allow the display of content downloaded from the Internet on TV screens via wireless connections.
NCC specialist Chen Chun-mu (陳春木) said that users of certain media players can only access content from a specific server, which could be obtained legally or illegally by service operators.
It is the commission’s responsibility to certify that radio frequency devices meet specifications, because it needs to ensure they do not interfere with the operations of other electronics or disrupt radio waves, NCC spokesman Weng Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said.
“However, we want to make it clear that we do not certify the content people can view... If any content is found to infringe on copyrights, it would come under the jurisdiction of authorities in charge of intellectual property rights and legal affairs,” he said.
The problem had come to the commission’s attention after content providers complained, Weng said, adding that 13 media player manufacturers appear to have copyright issues.
Most of the 13 are based in China, he said.
Manufacturers try to convince people the products are legal, as they are NCC-certified, but do not disclose that downloaded content could breach copyright laws, the commission said.
To address the problem, manufacturers would be required to enclose an affidavit with their applications guaranteeing that they do not breach intellectual property rights, the commission said, adding that applications would not be processed without the guarantee.
Manufacturers must also warn consumers that that NCC approval does not apply to content, it said.
The commission said it would notify TV networks and over-the-top content providers that they need to make sure media players do not contain firmware or applications that allow them to download or preload unauthorized content.
The NCC can nullify certification if vendors are found in breach of the Administrative Regulations on the Controlled Telecommunications Radio-Frequency Devices (電信管制射頻器材審驗辦法), the agency said.
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