ABS-CBN sues Dazcon Inc. in Canada for copyright violation

The Dazcon Inc. storefront in Kennedy Square Mall at 50 Kennedy Road South, Unit 60D, Brampton, Ontario, Canada. CONTRIBUTED

TORONTO, Ontario — Acting on reports from its own customers, ABS-CBNsued Dazcon Inc. in Canadian Federal Court for set-top boxes that enabled buyers to illegally access hundreds of ABS-CBN’s copyrighted movies and TV shows.

The suit filed by ABS-CBN against Dazcon Inc. seeks damages of C$5 million for copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and enabling and inducing copyright infringement of ABS-CBN’s copyrighted works.

Dazcon Inc. is located in a popular shopping area in Kennedy Square Mall at 50 Kennedy Road South, Unit 60D, Brampton, Ontario.

“We are very thankful that concerned ABS-CBN customers notified us of Dazcon’s illicit activities that we were able to confirm,” said ABS-CBN’s AVP & Head of Global Anti-Piracy Elisha Lawrence.

“Beware of these operations that are not licensed or affiliated in any way with ABS-CBN. If you have any suspicions of other boxes being sold that are not affiliated with ABS-CBN, please call the ABS-CBN office in the U.S. or Canada to verify.  We will continue to protect customers by shutting these operations down,” Lawrence added.

“The best way to really fight piracy is a partnership among us, the customers and the community,” saidABS-CBN Canada Country Manager Raymund Abog.

David Lipkus, counsel for ABS-CBN in Canada, said, “The dangers associated with using illegal set-top boxes are real, because they may not have been tested pursuant to Canadian safety standards.  I urge all Canadians to be careful and not put their homes and family at risk by plugging in a potentially dangerous set-top box.”