eBotswana takes Sentech to court over broadcast piracy

eBotswana, a sister company to South Africa's e.tv, was in court, Thursday, 28 July 2011, arguing an application against the South African signal distributor, Sentech in the South Gauteng High Court for failing to take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent pirate viewing of SABC channels in Botswana.

eBotswana's general manager Dave Coles says, "At the moment, approximately 70% of the Botswana population is watching the pirated SABC channels, thereby seriously damaging growth in the local broadcast, production and advertising industries through the loss of potential advertising revenue."

Sentech, according to the broadcaster, has failed to maintain the encryption system on its Vivid platform which has led to the piracy. Despite repeated requests from eBotswana since 2009 and Sentech's undertakings to parliament that it would upgrade the encryption by March 2011, it has failed to do so.