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Our Bureau

New Delhi, Aug. 7 The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) has granted interim relief to complainants against Dish TV’s free set-top box offer. The scheme that offered a free set-top box or hardware on one year’s subscription and with Rs 3,990 worth movies for download had been advertised aggressively.

Stating that Dish TV’s free set-top box advertisement would cause irreparable loss to consumers in general, the Commission had granted relief on the applications of Mr Hari Shankar and the consumer organisation, Sajag Upbhokta Shakti Sangahtan Samiti.

A temporary injunction restrains Dish TV from representing in any media that a set-top box comes free-of-cost or rental without indicating the scheme. Dish TV’s ads did not specify that the free set-top box was available only on one year’s subscription. Rival Tata Sky had also filed an application, with Hari Shankar as co-complainant. However, the Commission said, “It is made clear that this relief is being given on the application of Hari Shankar and Sajag Upbhokta Shakti Sangathan Samiti and not on behest of Tata Sky Ltd, the rival trader of the respondent, whose complaint under Section 36A is not maintainable.” Dish TV said it has made the required changes to its television commercial starring Shah Rukh Khan. Its reply to the Commission is expected over the next four weeks.

The DTH industry, poised to accommodate twice the number of players by next year, is in a transition phase. With increasing competition it is seeing the kind of litigious activity seen in the telecom industry earlier.

Tata Sky too has a complaint against it pending with the MRTPC with regards to the offer of reduced price for its base package (lighter by a few channels that were being offered separately) it had announced a few months ago.

More Stories on : Regulatory Bodies & Rulings | Radio/TV

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