MultiChoice concludes counterfeit STB case
May 19, 2025
By Chris Forrester
South African pay-TV giant MultiChoice has reported that a civil case against Uni Li Cell has concluded, which involved 5,000 imported power supply units for use with MultiChoice decoders.
The proceedings, under the Counterfeit Goods Act, saw Uni Li Cell and its sole director — who the company hasn’t named – following the seizure of counterfeit units imported through the Durban port and which were branded DStv decoders.
“These items bore the counterfeit mark ‘Dtv’, a brand deceptively similar to the registered DStv trademarks, posing a significant threat to consumers and brand integrity,” MultiChoice said in a statement. “The importer has since signed a formal undertaking in settlement of the civil case, agreeing to the delivery of all the infringing goods as well as a cost contribution of R40,000 has also been paid as part of the settlement.”
“In a controlled destruction process, the counterfeit power supplies were crushed manually with hammers to extract recyclable components. Cables were stripped to recover copper wiring, and all cardboard packaging was collected for recycling by authorised agents. The process was carefully documented and overseen to ensure compliance with legal and environmental standards,” added MultiChoice.
“This is a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to combat the trade in counterfeit goods,” commented Frikkie Jonker, director of broadcast and cybersecurity at Irdeto. “We commend the Border Police, Commercial Crime Unit, and our legal partners for their collaboration and dedication in protecting South African consumers and our brand.”
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