Police conducting ?world?s largest? pirate box crackdown

POLICE CONDUCTING “WORLD’S LARGEST” PIRATE BOX CRACKDOWN


Police in Scotland say they are conducting the world's biggest 'pirate box' crackdown. Together with the Federation Against Copyright Theft, police are targeting sellers of Android-style set-top boxes and believe that thousands of pubs could be customers. In addition, three torrent sites have been closed down.

pirate-wifiWhile Internet piracy has thrived on desktop machines for decades, it is now quite common to find the activity taking place in the living room. Expensive equipment is no longer needed and bulky machines have been replaced by much smaller HDMI-capable devices.

There are several types around but the most common have Android under the hood. Typically in small set-top or dongle format, these products can be loaded with media software from Google’s Play Store or invariably “side-loaded” with more unofficial products such as customized versions of Kodi, Showbox and Popcorn Time.

These cheap IPTV systems can provide users with access to a bewildering array of free content, from movies and TV shows to live sports and other PPV events. As a result, copyright holders around the world are mounting aggressive crackdowns on those who sell such devices for infringing uses.

Some of the most prominent actions have involved the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), who together with police have conducted a number of raids in the UK in recent months. Most have taken place in England but news is now emerging of a large scale anti-IPTV operation underway in Scotland.

According to local police, two premises were raided in Glasgow this week as part of what they describe as the “world’s largest” investigation into pirate IPTV boxes which has been underway for the last 16 months.

While movie companies have shown an interest in these devices it appears the focus in Scotland is on the streaming of live sports broadcasts. These are officially offered by FACT partners the English Premier League (soccer) alongside distributors Sky and BT but individuals and pubs are obtaining them illegally.
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Source:torrentfreak