Asian pirate cable and satellite television operators are expected to cost the industry 1.06 billion US dollars this year, up 11 percent from 2004, an industry association said Wednesday.
"There are more markets showing negative development than those having success in counteracting pay-TV piracy," said Simon Twiston Davies, chief executive of the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), which represents 110 TV companies in the region.
"That's why combating pay-TV piracy remains the industry's top priority."
CASBAA's annual report, that studied TV markets across 10 Asian countries, said India will see the biggest loss of revenues in Asia of 670 million dollars in 2005, up 19 percent from last year, while losses in Thailand will be up 15 percent to 160 million dollars.
Losses in the Philippines will rise 16 percent this year to 81.7 million dollars, as the number of illegal connections by individuals and by rogue cable operators continued to increase. It is estimated that there are now almost the same number of pirate connections as legitimate paid subscriptions in the Philippines, the report said.
Specific cost to governments in 2005 through lost taxes, license fees and other revenues is estimated at 155 million dollars by the end of this year.
Davies described the piracy problem as "far from under control" and said it has discouraged investment and further development in the industry.
For that, he partly blamed the lack of government regulations.
"We are very worried that we have not seen enough protection in the region," Davies said.
"A lot of the governments lack the political will to shut down pirated distribution flow. They think it's too much trouble and that their enforcement agencies have not been able to do much," he said.
Davies urged governments across Asia to step up efforts in protecting intellectual property rights.