SAN DIEGO - A North County resident and two Florida men were indicted for allegedly trying to hack new encryption codes used by the DISH Network satellite television service, it was announced Monday.
Jung Kwak of Oceanside, along with Phillip Allison, 35, and Robert Ward, 54 -- both of Seminole, Fla. -- are charged with conspiracy to violate the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitch Demblin.
The 33-year-old Kwak is the owner of Viewtech Inc. of Oceanside, which imports free-to-air satellite receiver boxes and sells them to the public through retailers.
Though free satellite programming is limited, the boxes marketed under the "Viewsat" name are popular because owners can download code to mimic DISH Network smart cards, allowing free viewing of the service's channels, Demblin said.
However, in late 2007 and 2008, DISH Network sent subscribers smart cards with a new encryption code, which meant owners of Viewsat boxes would no longer receive free programming, Demblin said.
The prosecutor alleged that in March 2008, the defendants decided to hire computer hackers to determine the new encryption code in order to save the market for their boxes.
Kwak bought a special microscope to analyze the smart cards and paid $20,000 cash for photographs of a purported new smart card, Demblin alleged.
Kwak also allegedly offered $250,000 to obtain the memory of such a card, he said.
The prosecutor did not divulge whether the defendants made any progress.
Demblin has filed a motion to hold Kwak without bail. A hearing is scheduled Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge William McCurine Jr.
