Madrid, 28 June 2002

PRESS RELEASE

The meeting of the Board of Directors and the Ordinary General Assembly of AEPOC (European Association for the Protection of Encrypted works and services) were held today in Madrid. In particular, we remark that the Spanish pay-tv platform Sogecable has recently implemented very successfully a complete swap of its smart-cards.

AEPOC groups the leading European players in the sector of digital television, representing pay-tv operators, infrastructure providers, conditional access companies and hardware manufacturers joint in a common effort aiming at encouraging a full harmonisation of the laws protecting conditional access transmissions across Europe and beyond.

During the meeting the admission of two new members has been approved: they are: United Pan- Europe Communication NV and SCM Microsystems.

"AEPOC feels that the new forms of piracy have developed as a result of technological change that need to be countered with all legislative and technological means that are necessary."

Said Jean Grenier, President of AEPOC.

AEPOC welcomes the message delivered by Spain's State Secretary for Justice and European Affairs, José María Michavila, who said that piracy destroys jobs and it does away with those who create and produce culture. AEPOC also thanks the President of Interpol, Jesús Espigares, for having expressed his support for linking efforts with Europol in the prosecution of this form of crime and for complementary investigations.

The next AEPOC meeting will be held in the Netherlands, where Europol is based, during the month of October 2002.