Premier League's IPTV hunt could soon see illegal streamers' information handed over
As the Premier League issues a 'stark warning' to illegal streamers it is also quietly making moves to get your information if you are involved in Internet Protocol television (IPTV) or other similar illicit services.
This week the Prem, the largest and richest football league in the world, issued a major warning to those running IPTV services and broadcasting its content for free.
IPTV itself isn't illegal, with it just a way of watching TV online whether terrestrial, satellite or cable. But it becomes against the law when it's harnessed by criminals freely supplying content that comes with a cost, whether live sports, films, or new TV shows.
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They'll often charge a lower rate than the official copyright holders as a way of enticing those looking for a bargain, with millions using various services around the world.
This week, the Premier League successfully prosecuted one man behind the illegal IPTV service BestBuy IPTV.
Charging £70 (£56) a year, it supplied people across the USA, UK, and Europe with a back catalogue of 19,000 films and television programmes as well as 10,000 live TV channels.
The man behind it, a Mr Le Hai Nam based in Vietnam, was convicted of online copyright infringement and ordered to pay total costs of $16,000 (£12,777). He also had a further $24,000 (£19,166) confiscated by authorities.
Clearly, league bosses are ramping up the pressure when it comes to piracy.
And it doesn't stop there, with the Premier League filing a historic legal case with the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
If it gets its way, the Premier League will be able to track your information.
We're talking telephone numbers, email addresses, your name, where you live, and payment details.
The case has been filed against GoDaddy, a company that hosts millions of websites and services across the world.
In a legal letter to GoDaddy from the Premier League's legal team, Hagan Noll & Boyle LLC, it says: "My firm represents The Football Association Premier League Limited (“Premier League”), which owns copyrights in broadcasted Premier League football (soccer) matches, including the right to publicly perform those copyrighted works.
"Premier League has determined that users of GoDaddy’s services are infringing Premier League’s copyrighted works through the following websites and domain names."
A total of 28 IPTV services and websites are then listed for infringing particular work, including football matches between Newcastle United and West Ham United; Bournemouth and Everton; and Chelsea and Burnley.
As well as taking these services down, the legal team demands GoDaddy hands over the information supplied by those when setting up the websites or IPTV service.
"GoDaddy is asked to remove or disable access to Premier League’s copyrighted works, which, based on the infringement that has occurred to date through the websites and domain names identified above, will continue to be infringed in this same manner throughout the Premier League season," the legal team add.
"In addition, enclosed is a subpoena... that instructs GoDaddy to provide Premier League with information sufficient to identify the alleged infringers that are associated with these websites and domain names, including those contained in the backend links."
With the Premier League being a multi-billion dollar organisation, we're certain their aggressive approach won't end here when it comes to protecting intellectual rights.
A GoDaddy spokesperson said: "We don't comment on pending litigation."
Topics: Crime, Football, Money, Premier League, Sport, TV, TV and Film, UK News, US News, World News
Tom Earnshaw