In Hungary, police raid and seize infringing product, but full fledged copyright enforcement has not developed. In addition to prosecutorial delay, one of the major deficiencies of the Hungarian system has been the failure of courts to impose the existing criminal penalties in copyright cases. However, judges have not imposed these levels of fines on defendants involved in commercial piracy, a necessity if Hungary is to improve its anti-piracy enforcement. Additionally, the court system has been hampered by undue procedural delay, and by overloads in the system which delay resolution of pending cases. In 1997, the primary audiovisual piracy concerns in Hungary continue to be video and cable television piracy.
Most video pirates have small to medium-sized duplication and distribution operations.
Cable piracy, and to a lesser degree, satellite piracy are persistent problems in Hungary. In addition, the distribution of pirate smart cards and illegal decoders is a growing problem. This law requires compliance with copyright as a condition for obtaining and maintaining broadcast licenses and is an important tool in the fight against broadcast piracy. Since the 1993 amendments to the Criminal Code, the police have maintained good cooperation with ASVA and have taken enforcement actions throughout the country. Enforcement against duplication facilities in private homes remains difficult.