Another warning has been issued to football fans after a man was found guilty of providing an illegal streaming service for Premier League games and received a prison sentence for his actions.
The authorities have been taking measures to combat the illegal streaming of Premier League football in response to the proliferation of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services and jailbroken Amazon Fire sticks that contain content.
FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) has made significant efforts to “disrupt and dismantle piracy operations” in conjunction with law enforcement agencies. However, a significant development has occurred as a result of the incarceration of a man from Lebanon who was found guilty of five charges related to intellectual property and cybercrime offences.
According to The Mirror, the Premier League, Sky, and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) collaborated in order to file a complaint, which ultimately resulted in the involvement of the Lebanese Cyber Crime Bureau.
It has been decided that the individual will serve a sentence of eleven months in prison, in addition to being required to pay damages totalling $90,000 (or about $69,000). According to Kevin Plum, the general counsel for the Premier League, the case and the outcome of the case are “essential for the future health of English football and the protection of our fans.”
According to a statement released by Plumb, “The outcome of this case highlights the severity with which courts across the world continue to treat all forms of piracy, as well as the stark consequences for those responsible for this criminality.”
The case is further evidence that the Premier League is dedicated to safeguarding its intellectual property in all parts of the world. It is not only important to us and our broadcast partners, but it is also essential for the future health of English football and the protection of our fans. This is something that we care deeply about.
In this particular instance, the advantages of collaborating with other rights holders are exemplified perfectly. I would like to express my gratitude to Sky and ACE, our co-complainants, for their reliable partnership throughout the entirety of these one-of-a-kind and intricate proceedings that led up to this conviction.
“This ruling sends a strong message that those who illegally steal our content will be pursued and can be brought to justice, regardless of where in the world they are located,” the judge said. We would like to express our gratitude to the Premier League, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, and national and international law enforcement agencies for their invaluable partnership in the fight against piracy.
“The Lebanese judicial authorities in Lebanon, in conjunction with the Lebanese Cyber Crime Bureau, were able to successfully pursue the prosecution of this individual, who has been involved in the heinous theft of content for a considerable amount of time.
“We will continue to take steps to shut down organised criminal networks that are intent on stealing our content and whose activities expose consumers to real risks of malware, identity theft, and data loss,” the statement reads.
Matt Hibbert, who is the group director of anti-piracy at Sky, also provided his thoughts on the successful case. According to him, the case demonstrates that anyone who steals content will be “brought to justice.”
He made the following observation: “This ruling sends a strong message that those who illegally steal our content will be pursued and can be brought to justice, regardless of where in the world they are.” We would like to express our gratitude to the Premier League, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, and international law enforcement for their invaluable partnership in the fight against piracy.
Jonathan Edge, who is 29 years old and hails from Liverpool, was sentenced to three years in prison in November as a result of a private prosecution that was overseen by the Premier League. This case follows through on that particular sentence.
He continued to sell illegal Fire Sticks through Facebook and word-of-mouth despite receiving multiple warnings, and he ultimately pleaded guilty to three offences that can be classified as violations of the Fraud Act.
In addition, the fact that he used the device himself was considered a criminal offence.
During the course of a two-week operation that took place in December, the Federal Organisation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and the police targeted thirty providers of illegal IPTV services. They visited these providers in person and also sent cease-and-desist warnings through the mail.
When it comes to the distribution of the devices, individuals from London, Cheshire, Kent, the East and West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and a great number of other regions were warned that they could face criminal prosecution if they did not comply with the warning.
According to Kieron Sharp, the Chief Executive Officer of FACT, the cease and desist measures are “not just warnings,” but rather they serve as “the first step towards holding offenders accountable.”
