Police hope their latest crackdown on streaming users with dodgy Fire TV Sticks sends a “strong message” to those who breach copyright by watching Sky TV without paying, warning those affected: “We are on our way there.”
Fire TV Sticks, manufactured and distributed by Amazon, are an incredibly popular and affordable way to bring games and streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and ITVX to your smartphone. any TV with HDMI port. The lightweight hardware supports the talkative AI assistant Alexa, which can control smart lighting, internet-connected thermostats, Ring video doorbells, and other smart home devices.
However, this inexpensive streaming hardware is often abused by criminals to allow easy viewing of copyrighted material at a fraction of the cost.
Modified Fire TV Sticks, sometimes referred to as “fully-featured,” let you unlock access to live streams of the Premier League, the latest Hollywood blockbusters, and exclusive series from HBO, Netflix, and Disney+, to name a few.
A 42-year-old man from Nottingham has been arrested for using devices to illegally stream TV shows, films and sports exclusive to the Sky TV package for free.
Modified Fire TV Sticks allow easy and free access to copyrighted material
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The man was arrested under various laws, including the Proceeds of Crime Act, the Computer Misuse Act and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act. He has since been released on bail pending investigation.
Detective Sergeant David Beach of Nottinghamshire Police’s Cybercrime Unit said: “This action sends a clear message: we want to bring down those who knowingly commit or facilitate copyright infringement online.”
“Not only is this operation a huge loss for the entertainment industry, but it is also unfair that millions of people work hard to afford their paid TV services while others cheat the system,” he added. “Some may think that paying for illegal streaming devices and services is a victimless crime, but that is not the case.”
Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, commented on the police’s latest action: “We would like to thank Nottinghamshire Police’s Cyber Crime Team for taking such decisive action against illegal streaming providers. We will continue to support law enforcement in protecting our content, tackling illegal streaming and protecting consumers from the risks that illegal streaming can bring.”
This was preceded by numerous measures by law enforcement authorities to prevent illegal streaming throughout the UK.
In Stockton-on-Tees, a 52-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being involved in a completely different illegal streaming operation first uncovered by the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit. Earlier this month, Merseyside Police’s Cyber Crime Unit confirmed that A 41-year-old man from Liverpool has been given a two-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to promoting and selling modified Fire TV Sticks. which offered access to paid movies, TV shows and live Premier League matches.
Back in March, FACT worked with the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit and the Premier League to Target: 11 people across the UKwho sold illegal access to premium TV content, including live Premier League matches, via modified or so-called ‘fully-featured’ Smart TVs or Fire TV Sticks.
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Illegal streams can be viewed online in a web browser, via a modified device such as a “questionable” or “full-featured” Fire TV Stick, or with third-party add-on software for platforms such as Kodi.
The umbrella term for all of these devices and methods is IPTV, or Internet Protocol Television, which describes how the content is delivered over a broadband connection. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean anything illegal, as Sky Stream is an IPTV device that offers legal access to Sky Sports, Sky Atlantic, Netflix, and more.
With the advent of easy-to-use streaming services like Netflix and Spotify, piracy rates dropped. But as the number of services required to watch the most popular shows continues to grow and subscription prices continue to rise, the cost of living crisis has many people looking for cheaper ways to access content.
This has proved to be a goldmine for those willing to sell so-called “dodgy” Fire TV sticks – devices loaded with premium shows, movies and football streams. Sometimes these devices come with a monthly subscription attached, although it usually costs less than the The best Sky Stream offers Can offer.
Sky TV has exclusive contracts with numerous successful US series from HBO, including House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, Succession, Euphoria, Mare of Easttown, The Wire, And game of ThronesThe company also commissions a large number of its own shows, such as the award-winning comedy Brassic, I hate SuzieAnd Chernobyl.
The company also owns the rights to hundreds of Premier League and English Football League matches broadcast as part of a newly launched Sky Sports+ service in the coming months. Sky Cinema offers early access to Hollywood films every month as well as Vue cinema tickets.
Law enforcement authorities have previously warned those viewing or distributing fully loaded Fire TV Sticks in the UK “expect a knock at the door”Earlier this year, GB News revealed that Chat-GPT could provide advice for those who to use Fire TV Stick devices and watch Sky TV content for free.
According to a recent study, 90 percent of the 50 illegal streaming sites analyzed were classified as risky.
“Illegal streaming is far from a victimless crime. In addition to the impact it has on businesses and content creators, it essentially means that legitimate subscribers are paying for those who access such services illegally,” warned Detective Inspector Steve Frame.
“Illegal streams also increase the risk of users receiving malware, which can put them at increased risk of becoming victims of violations of the Computer Misuse Act. We will use all available tools and continue to work with FACT to identify anyone else involved in this form of crime and bring them to justice.”