DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SHUTS DOWN TELEVISION STATION

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 002448

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC,ED/TPP/IPE; DEPT PASS USTR;
USDOC FOR USPTO (BOLAND)
DEPT PASS LIBRARY OF CONGRESS FOR COPYRIGHT OFFICE
WHITE HOUSE FOR USTR FOR R. VARGO, A. MALITO, B. PECK

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KIPR ETRD EINV DR
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SHUTS DOWN TELEVISION STATION
BECAUSE OF VIDEO PIRACY

REF: SANTO DOMINGO 1861


1. On April 27 the District Attorney's Office raided the
headquarters of Dominican television station Virus, located
in Santiago, the country's second largest city. Officials
confiscated four hard drives containing video material along
with hardware necessary for the station to broadcast. Virus
is now off the air. This is the first case in the Dominican
Republic where an investigation into broadcast piracy has
closed a station. Itis a promising development for
enforcement of intellectual property laws.


2. According to Jaime Angeles, attorney and local
representative of the Motion Picture Association of America
(MPAA),the court did not order Virus's transmissions
suspended but rather authorized the DA's raid to obtain
evidence that Virus was broadcasting pirated material.
Officials confiscated equipment and left the station unable
to broadcast. It is unclear whether Virus will remain off
the air indefinitely.


3. Angeles believes that Dominican officials are beginning to
engage against television broadcast piracy. He expects that
the District Attorney will soon search other tations,
including channel 5 Telemicro, and channel 15 Digital
15(reftel). Angeles was very pleased with both the Ministry
of Justice and telecommunications authority INDOTEL for new
efforts.





KUBISKE