Virgin Media set top boxes seized by police

[Cable News]

The Thames Valley Police in Tilehurst, Reading have seized up to sixty Virgin Media set top boxes, in a joint operation with Virgin Media and the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. The raids come as Virgin Media attempts to stop the modification of its equipment. These set top boxes can then be used to view [...]

More: Virgin Media set top boxes seized by police

[PerryCox]

Originally Posted by Teh police

The police say that modifying a set top box is a serious offence under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act.

Can anyone catagorically state if this is true or not?

I was under the impression that you are allowed to modify your own property in whichever way you want to (am thinking about Mr Modchips here). Using the box you've modified to steal TV is a seperate offence, which is why I thought in order to be prosecuted, it would have to be proved that you were using the modified box to view a channel you are not paying for (If you were using a modded box to view a channel you do subscribe to then what crime has been comitted?).

I even asked a copper what he would nick someone for if they were viewing channels on a dodgy box, and he said if they were watching a free channel, he wouldn't know.

Does anyone here know?

[andypandy1212000]

All cable boxes belong to VM and remain their property, so when you buy a box at car boot or fleabay your buying stolen goods. You can read this on the earlier boxes thou they seem to stopped sticking a label to the boxes these days.

PS I live in Reading and i've not heard anything on local news, i let you know about the local paper if i see anything.

[badboy_uk]

this is scary ****

[bigalan2k7]

**** them there will never stop it if that story is true he will of been selling them to people and someone has grassed him up to vm

[badboy_uk]

someone who works for vm told me that they are aware of these things
but he sells modems himself lol

[andypandy1212000]

The raid in Reading is true its in the local paper. AS Badboy says somebody grassed him up eh.

[adjbeatbox]

All grasses get whats comin 2 em, no??...
Doesnt everyone feel this way?
Beatbox

[The Forse]

Mine came from down there somewhere and I`m sure If I was nicked it would not be for having a nicked VM box as mine was a brand spanker when I bought it, but they would nick me for thieving from vm in terms of their services and not their box!

[g80878]

Originally Posted by The Forse

Mine came from down there somewhere and I`m sure If I was nicked it would not be for having a nicked VM box as mine was a brand spanker when I bought it, but they would nick me for thieving from vm in terms of their services and not their box!

All boxes belong to the cable provider , there never sold on the open market , Companies such as pace , samsung etc are contracted to supply the cable provider with the boxes. There then leased to the subscriber for the duration of there contract. All boxes are ex sub equipment regardless , even if you got it in a sealed box or not