Man charged over Foxtel card-sharing network Items allegedly seized during a search of the premises. Photo: Australian Federal Police A man has been charged over a card-sharing network that allegedly allowed 8000 people across Australia to access Foxtel's pay television services for free. Haidar Majid Salam Al Baghdadi, 29, of Hinchinbrook, operated the network from a business premises in Cartwright, in Sydney's south-west, the Australian Federal Police allege. He has been charged with five copyright offences and will appear at Liverpool Local Court on Tuesday. The federal police say Mr Al Baghdadi used decoders and smartcards to allow other people unauthorised access to subscription television content without a legitimately purchased subscription. The manager of the federal police's Sydney office, Ray Johnson, said, following a joint investigation with Foxtel, the arrest is "a strong reminder that intellectual property crime is not a victimless crime." "This investigation has successfully disrupted a network which has been unlawfully providing access to services at the cost of honest customers who legitimately pay for them," Commander Johnson said. Criminal activity such as this costs consumers - who may have to pay higher fees to absorb losses and the cost of theft-prevention measures - as well as retailers and individual businesses every year in Australia and across the globe. The maximum penalty for this offence is five years' imprisonment.