In more detail
Peggy Yu Peng Hsueh-Shu (“Yu”), a 68-year-old director of Amconics Technology (“Amconics”), pleaded guilty to 14 counts of selling ISDs that infringed the copyright of the Football Association Premier League (“Premier League”). Another 26 similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.
ISDs are typically preloaded with computer programs or applications that provide unauthorized access to copyrighted work. In this case, the ISDs sold by Yu’s company, both physically and online, were used to illegally stream Premier League matches.
Aside from the ISDs, Amconics also sold illegal streaming subscription services priced between SGD 1 to SGD 60, depending on the duration.
Between 2019 and 2023, the total ISD sales amounted to almost SGD 1.8 million, while subscriptions netted between SGD 15,888 and SGD 29,790 in total estimated sales.
Despite warning letters from Premier League to Amconics, and the 2022 enforcement raid at Sim Lim Square, Yu did not stop the sales. Amconics only ceased operations in January 2024, following a second raid.
Yu was sentenced to 22 months’ jail, and Amconics was fined SGD 384,000.
The maximum sentence under the Act is SGD 100,000 or imprisonment of up to five years for individuals, or both, and a fine of up to SGD 200,000 for companies (per offense).
Key takeaways
Introduced in 2021 to address the growing issue of ISDs, Sections 150 and 445 of the Act impose civil and criminal liability on commercial dealers in hardware devices, software applications and services that facilitate access to unauthorized content.
Previously, rights holders had to try and rely on other provisions in the former Copyright Act to seek relief for ISD sales. The current Act ensures that rights holders have the necessary tools to enforce their rights against commercial dealings in these ISDs.
This is the third conviction of an individual in relation to the sale of ISDs. In October 2024, a person was jailed for 10 months (with their two companies being fined SGD 300,000 in total), while in May 2025, a second person was jailed for six months (with their company fined SGD 181,000).
The severity of these sentences reinforces Singapore’s strict no-tolerance approach to commercial dealings in ISDs and aligns with Singapore’s efforts to strengthen its position as a global IP hub and a top-ranked IP regime.
This 22-month sentence is the harshest to date for ISD-related offenses in Singapore, signaling an escalation in enforcement and deterrence. The court considered the scale of infringement (SGD 1.8 million in sales) and continued activity despite warnings as aggravating factors.
The Premier League’s warning letters and collaboration with authorities were critical in building the case. Rights holders should maintain active monitoring and early intervention strategies.
The severity of sentences demonstrates that criminal prosecution is a viable and effective deterrent, complementing civil remedies. Rights holders should consider dual-track enforcement (civil and criminal) for large-scale infringements.
* * * * *
© 2025 Baker & McKenzie. Wong & Leow. All rights reserved. Baker & McKenzie. Wong & Leow is incorporated with limited liability and is a member firm of Baker & McKenzie International, a global law firm with member law firms around the world. In accordance with the common terminology used in professional service organizations, reference to a "principal" means a person who is a partner, or equivalent, in such a law firm. Similarly, reference to an "office" means an office of any such law firm. This may qualify as "Attorney Advertising" requiring notice in some jurisdictions. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
