SBS announced on the 3rd that it achieved the closure of the illegal video streaming site 'Laowangkanju' based in Hong Kong, along with criminal punishment for the site's operator.
To prevent copyright infringement of 'Laowangkanju', which illegally services Korean content, SBS collaborated with the Nanjing Public Security Bureau in China and the Korean Copyright Commission's office in China to criminally charge the operator and recently received a ruling from a Chinese court for site closure, a sentence of 1 year and 8 months in prison with a 2-year suspended sentence, and a fine.
'Laowangkanju' is an illegal site that generated revenue through a paid membership system while operating servers in Hong Kong. The site operator uploaded content currently airing in Korea to allow viewers to watch parts of them and then provided full video cloud links only to users who signed up for paid memberships, engaging in illegal service activities. This site has illegally distributed several contents, including SBS's popular dramas 'Escape of the Seven,' 'Dr. Romantic,' 'Modem Taxi,' and 'Evil.'
SBS noted, 'In preparation for the release of the long-standing ban on Korean content and the opening of the Chinese market, we will intensify crackdowns on illegal sites in China,' adding, 'Government's continuous interest and cooperation are essential to ensure that this case does not remain a one-time success.'
China designated Korea as a visa-free target country last November, while the fan signing events for TWICE and IVE in February and March have increased expectations for the lifting of the ban.
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