Representatives of small companies that provide broadcasting services have accused the company Starnet of disloyal competition. In a news conference at IPN, representatives of the Broadcasting Employers Association of Moldova said this company transmits TV channels without having copyright in Moldova and pirates movies.
The Association’s head Vladimir Topal said that for three yeas Starnet has provided subscription packages that include over 100 TV channels. Most of these channels do not have copyright on Moldova’s territory, such as Pervyi Kanal, STS and TNT of Russia, Dolce Sport and Sport.Ro of Romania, and the movie channels ProCinema and Premiera.
According to Vladimir Topal, the Broadcasting Coordination Council penalized the company for the committed violations. It imposed a fine on Starnet and withdrew its license. But the company challenged the Council’s decision in court and continues to work.
Ghenadie Osoianu, director of the company Elechservice-Grup, which provides television services in northern Moldova, said that Starnet changed the servers from which TV channels and movies are broadcast without copyright so as not to be identified. The prosecutors refuse to take legal action over piracy.
The representatives of the Broadcasting Employers Association called on the competent bodies to do justice to the small TV operators that cannot cope with disloyal competition. They wonder who is behind this company if the regulatory bodies cannot make it work legally.
