The Public Prosecution Office of Frankfurt on the Main opened criminal proceedings against the information service Kartina.TV specializing above all in rebroadcasting Russian TV channels.
The lawsuit was filed to the court by German Bundesliga, as published by the newspaper Vedomosti. It accuses Kartina.TV of copyright infringement. The German police searched the company’s headquarters in Wiesbaden, and its other divisions.
According to the Public Prosecution Office of Frankfurt, Kartina.TV goes on operating, but its accounts in German banks are frozen. If during the investigation the company management’s guilt is proved, the court may sentence them to prison of up to 5 years (or) to impose penalties. In 2012, the service Kartina.TV already came into the view of the Public Prosecution Office of Wiesbaden on suspicion of piracy, but the investigation was discontinued then.
The German mass media called Andreas Reich, the company’s CEO, as the main suspect. He confirmed that the Kartina Digital was currently checked by the investigative authorities, but did not say what Bundesliga accused the company of. Mr. Reich argues that the service did not broadcast the Football League in Germany. In addition, he stated that the company’s bank accounts are not blocked, being just frozen for the period of the prosecutor’s investigation.
The German Football League was not the first right holder to file claims against Kartina.TV to unauthorized content rebroadcasting. Thus, the Russian Channel One, VGTRK, CTC Media accuse the company of violating copyright and piracy use of content of the TV channels Russia 1, Domashniy, Channel One, Russia 24.
