BROADCASTING (AMENDMENT) BILL

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BROADCASTING (AMENDMENT) BILL: Order for Second Reading read.

The Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts (Dr Balaji Sadasivan): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, this Bill seeks to amend the Broadcasting Act to strengthen the legal control measures against the trade and use of unauthorised decoders.

An unauthorised decoder is one which enables an encrypted programme to be viewed in decoded form, without authorisation from the broadcasting service provider. Such decoders are currently available for sale in Singapore and are being used to decode the broadcast signals of StarHub Cable Vision's cable television programmes without paying for the subscription.

The number of such cases is not significant at the moment, when compared to other countries. However, the enactment of this Bill is expected to provide further deterrence by criminalising

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the acts of export, assembly, modification or distribution of unauthorised decoders. In addition, the Bill will criminalise the wilful receipt and further distribution of signals decoded without the authorisation of the lawful broadcasting service provider. Lawful broadcasting service providers and owners of copyright will also be able to bring a civil action against persons who have committed any of the abovementioned acts, if they have suffered any loss or damage.

To conclude, Sir, this Bill will allow for more effective control over the trade and use of unauthorised decoders in Singapore.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [DrBalaji Sadasivan].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.