DISH Gets Its Apology From Freetech (Freetech to cooperate in anti-piracy actions)

Back in late August we reported a significant victory for the D*SH Network and the DBS platform’s security provider, N*graStar, as the duo won a mega ($106 million total) judgment against “free-to-air” provider Freetech. Freetech, as you might recall, was snatching the D*SH signal and redistributing it – at significant profit – via its receivers.

The U.S. District Court of Northern California didn’t think too much of that and slapped a $97 million judgment against Freetech, $3 million against each of its three top officers plus it barred the company from reopening operations anywhere in the world. But money doesn’t always drive the point home. D*SH wanted an apology as well.

Says D*SH lawyer in the case, Chad Hagan of the Houston law firm Hagan Noll & Boyle, LLC, D*SH hopes that any other would-be pirates “will see this and it will be a reminder that D*SH is out there and will come after people” who try to steal its signal

So here you have it, folks ... fresh off the multiple-signing PR machine ... the official Freetech apology to D*SH:

"Freetech, Inc., the South San Francisco based importer and distributer of the Coolsat line of Free-to-Air Satellite receivers announces that it will dissolve and cease operations as part of its agreement to resolve a lawsuit filed by D*SH Network, E*hoStar Technologies and N*graStar (collectively "D*SH Network"). D*SH Network filed suit against Freetech in December of 2007 asserting that Coolsat receivers were primarily designed and used for the piracy of D*SH Network's satellite television programming. Freetech acknowledges that Coolsat receivers were used for this purpose and apologizes for any harm caused to D*SH Network. As part of the resolution of the lawsuit, the Court entered a consent judgment finding in favor of D*SH Network, E*hoStar and N*graStar in the aggregate amount of $106,000,000.00 and entering a permanent injunction against Freetech and its officers and certain employees. Freetech has also agreed to cooperate with D*SH Network in its current and future anti-piracy actions."