4 months’ jail for Sim Lim Square seller of illicit streaming devices showing EPL games
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Lin Da was the sole director and shareholder of Simder Trading and Business, which was also convicted and fined $40,000.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
- Sim Lim Square retailer Lin Da was jailed four months, and his firm Simder Trading and Business was fined $40,000 for selling illicit streaming devices.
- Lin knowingly sold devices providing unauthorised access to copyrighted content, including Premier League matches and movies.
- This conviction is the fourth since a 2022 enforcement raid, highlighting the ongoing fight against content piracy in Singapore.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – A retailer at Sim Lim Square was sentenced to four months’ jail for selling illicit devices that streamed copyrighted content, including movies and Premier League football matches.
Lin Da, 35, was the sole director and shareholder of Simder Trading and Business, which was also convicted and fined $40,000. His shop, MengXin Tech, was operated under Simder.
On Jan 27, the Singaporean pleaded guilty to four charges under the Copyright Act. Seven similar charges were taken into consideration for his sentencing.
Lin began importing illicit streaming devices from China and Hong Kong to sell in his shop some time in 2018, Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheah Wenjie said.
After a customer bought the device, Lin or his employee would install software applications onto it that provided users with access to unauthorised live television channels and video-on-demand content.
This allowed users to gain access to a “constantly updated library of copyrighted works owned by multiple copyright owners”, said DPP Cheah.
Simder earned about $49 to $60 per device sold, and made a total profit of $4,000 to $5,000 monthly from the sales.
The Football Association Premier League (FAPL) sent Simder a letter in 2020, stating that it was aware that the shop was selling such devices, which distributed copyrighted Premier League matches without FAPL authorisation.
The letter required Simder to immediately cease all sales of these devices.
Lin had received the letter and was aware of its contents.
DPP Cheah said: “Despite his knowledge that his business was illegal, (Lin) continued to operate the said business.”
On Oct 4, 2022, the authorities raided several shops at Sim Lim Square, including MengXin Tech. They seized 301 illicit streaming devices from Lin’s shop and arrested him and his employee.
Investigations revealed that 16 of these devices were offered for sale, and could facilitate access to copyrighted works from FAPL, Warner Bros Entertainment, Disney and Discovery Inc.
The shows included two Premier League matches – Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur on Oct 29, 2022, and Newcastle United v Chelsea on Nov 12, 2022 – and movies like Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore and Raya And The Last Dragon.
The other 285 devices were not working, and Lin had intended to either repair them or return them to the manufacturers for a refund.
Lin and his company did not make any compensation to the copyright owners, said DPP Cheah.
This is the fourth such conviction in Singapore involving Sim Lim Square sellers of illicit streaming devices since the 2022 raid, which saw 17 people arrested and more than 2,500 illegal streaming devices worth about $500,000 seized
The highest sentenced meted out so far was for Peggy Yu Peng Hsueh-Shu
Premier League welcomed Lin’s conviction, with its general counsel Kevin Plumb commending the authorities for their decisive action.
He said: “We want to remind fans that the risks associated with piracy are not always immediately apparent, but they are real and damaging.
“Engaging with unauthorised services can expose users to serious issues, as personal security, privacy and financial information can be compromised.”
Ms Karyn Temple, senior executive vice-president and global general counsel of the Motion Picture Association, said the sentencing underscores the real-world consequences of content theft.
“Piracy is not just a legal issue – it’s an economic one. It siphons revenue from the legitimate market, undermines jobs and devalues the work of the global creative community,” she said.
The Premier League has in recent years blocked nearly 800 domains across popular pirate streaming websites and domains used by illegal apps and streaming devices in Singapore, via a series of orders from the High Court.
