UPC Ireland, a cable operator, and Nagravision S.A., a set-top box maker, announced a legal settlement against Thomas Roddy, a large-scale distributor of illegal digital boxes in Ireland. The companies said they were convinced the legal action was necessary to prevent the development of industrial piracy.
A covert investigation code-named “Operation Gaelic” revealed an extensive distribution network managed by Roddy, which involved the sale of illegal digital boxes and distribution of software codes that give access to digital TV subscription channels for free.
Roddy, as part of the settlement, agreed to pay “a substantial six-figure sum,” not to engage in the sale of illegal set-top boxes and to cooperate for the next two years with the plaintiffs’ further investigations in the lawsuit.