Trade secrets and other IP protection

Conditional access technologies prevent unauthorised use of services by a consumer. Typically, they are used in digital transmissions, for example in digital broadcasting, to protect revenue and intellectual property (IP).

Conditional access relies on scrambling and encryption of transmissions so that only users who pay for them or subscribe to them can access them.

The technology usually entails a subscriber management and authorisation system and some type of smart cards and other decoders that decrypt the data once it is authorised for access. Broadcasters sell or rent these machines to the viewers which enables them to view or listen to encrypted programmes.

It is illegal to make unauthorised copies of smart cards or other decoding equipment, as this deprives the broadcaster of revenue from people who pay for legitimate decoders.

If someone sells or uses an illegal decoder, they may be committing a criminal offence.