Anyone for pirate pay-per-view?

By Andrew Colley

An operation to provide pirate pay-per-view television has been broken up by a police sting in Australia.

A Melbourne man has been summoned to appear in court on charges relating to police investigations into pay television piracy rings. According to reports the man is one of Australia's leading internet suppliers of pirated smart cards.

The summons was issued after Victorian Police raids recovered a large number of smart cards and manufacturing equipment used in relation to illegally gaining access to subscription TV services.

The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (Astra) assisted the police investigation. According to Astra, the man will face a range of state and federal criminal charges for breaches of copyright laws.

Debra Richards, executive director of Astra, said the illegal operations are undermining the viability of subscription TV and radio services.

Andrew Colley writes for ZDNet Australia