VZCZCXRO5765
PP RUEHDE RUEHTRO
DE RUEHTU #2534 2841352
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111352Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2002
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0802
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS PRIORITY 7305
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1194
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1647
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT PRIORITY 8231
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY 0403
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA PRIORITY 4002
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI PRIORITY 0118
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS TUNIS 002534 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/MAG FOR MAYA HARRIS, EB/IPE 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/ONE (ROTH) 
CASABLANCA FOR (FCS ORTIZ) 
LONDON, PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ETRD KIPR AG FR MO TC UK TS
SUBJECT: HACKERS BREAK THE CODE TO AL-JAZEERA SPORTS CHANNEL 
 
REF: A. 04 TUNIS 2698 
     ¶B. TUNIS 2140 
     ¶C. TUNIS 1818 
     ¶D. TUNIS 1741 
     ¶E. TUNIS 1590 
 
¶1. According to an As-Sabah Al-Ousboui newspaper article 
published September 25, 2006, Tunisian hackers have been able 
to break the encryption code for Al-Jazeera Sports Channel 
and are now selling bootleg access cards at cut-rate prices. 
The article tells its readers where they can go to procure 
the bootleg access card containing the decoded access to 
Al-Jazeera programs. 
 
¶2.  Al-Jazeera Sports is a popular Arabic-language sports 
channel launched in November 2003 by the well-known 
Al-Jazeera news channel.  It has quickly grown to be the most 
popular sports channel in the Middle East and has covered a 
wide range of major international sporting events such as the 
2006 African Cup of Nations (soccer).  It is based in Qatar 
and started encrypting its signal in August 2005.  Legitimate 
viewers in Tunisia purchase the Al-Jazeera Sports Channel 
card ("Irredetto") for TD80 (US61.54) at Moncef Bey market, a 
well-known parallel market in Tunis (ref A).  The card is 
valid for one year.  The hackers have succeeded in decoding 
the legitimate card and have copied the code onto a 
"Viaccess" card.  The newspaper tells readers that if they 
want to decode the programs on Al-Jazeera Sports Channel, all 
they have to do is buy the decoded bootleg "Viaccess" card 
once a year until 2010 at a cost of TD30 (US24) per year. 
 
¶3.  Comment:  While the news article is not telling readers 
how to decode the signal to the Al-Jazeera Sports Channel, it 
is informing them about where they can go to buy the bootleg 
"Viaaccess" card containing the Al-Jazeera Sports Channel 
codes.  In effect, this gives bootleg card buyers access to 
the sports channel without having to pay the higher price of 
a legal access card or royalties associated with it.  The 
fact that this article was openly published in a Tunisian 
newspaper, even an "independent" one, sends a  clear signal 
that, in spite of IPR progress on other fronts (reftels B 
thru E), the GOT still condones the practice of pirating 
satellite access cards.  (Note: The GOT exercises strict 
control over all newspapers, whether government owned or 
nominally independent.)  Hackers apparently have no fear of 
being prosecuted for breaking and selling the codes openly. 
End comment. 
BALLARD