Yahoo News Fire Stick warning issued in crackdown on illegal Sky and TNT Sports streaming
UK households have been issued a stark warning over the use of illegal streaming devices after a man was convicted for promoting and selling modified Fire Sticks.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) reminded TV watchers that they could face criminal investigation and prosecution in a major crackdown on piracy. Authorities have been working in recent months to find those who supply illegal streaming services or access illegal content, including the use of Fire Sticks - streaming devices that plug into your TV - that have been illegally adapted.
On Tuesday, July 4, 41-year-old Kevin James O'Donnell from Liverpool was handed down a two-year suspended sentence at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to charges of promoting and selling illegally modified Fire Sticks. These devices offered unauthorised access to premium film and TV content, including live football matches, FACT said.
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In an investigation that began in July 2022, FACT and the Merseyside Police Cyber Crime Unit uncovered that O'Donnell was actively promoting an illegal IPTV subscription service on Facebook. The devices he was selling had been configured to provide unauthorised access to sports, TV channels and movie content, bypassing legitimate providers such as Sky and TNT Sports.
A further forensic examination by FACT revealed that premium TV packages, priced between £40 and £85 for a 12-month contract, were offered directly on an illegally configured IPTV device. It is estimated that O'Donnell made over £130,000 defrauding content owners of over half a million pounds.
O'Donnell's prosecution comes after FACT worked with the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit and the Premier League to target a further 11 people across the UK selling illegal access to premium TV content, including live Premier League matches via modified smart TV devices or sticks. One person was arrested, and 10 others were interviewed under caution.
Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT, said: "We are immensely grateful for the diligent work carried out by Merseyside Police Cyber Crime Unit. Their collaboration with FACT has been instrumental in holding O'Donnell accountable for his actions.
"This case highlights the importance of protecting legitimate providers as well as the significant impact that coordinated law enforcement efforts can have on combating digital piracy. The message is very clear: if you sell a device that provides access to content that is not licensed to you or owned by you, you could face criminal investigation, prosecution, and possible conviction."
Detective Inspector Steve Frame added: "We have been working closely with FACT to ensure that O'Donnell is made to answer for his actions, and this was a great example of how police and industry experts can come together to tackle this type of criminality. The investigation found that O'Donnell had made a significant amount of money from selling these illegally adapted firesticks and had done so over a number of years through Facebook and WhatsApp.
"Illegal streaming is far from a victimless crime, and as well as the impact it has on businesses and content creators, it essentially means that legitimate subscribers pay for those who illegally access such services. Illegal streams also increase the risk of users receiving malware, which can put them at increased risk of falling victim to Computer Misuse Act offences."
He added: "We will use all available powers and continue to work with FACT to identify anyone else who is involved in this form of criminality and put them before the courts."
