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Hollywood id taking aim at illegal streaming services
Users of a popular Kodi-powered TV service could soon be blocked from accessing content illegally.
A number of content providers, including Hollywood studios and Netflix, have launched a lawsuit against TickBox TV saying the service gives customers easy access to pirated shows and movies.
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According to Hollywood Reporter, Disney, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Amazon and Netflix are suing TickBox over infringement of their copyright.
TickBox, which allows customers to gain access to premium content for free, claims there is nothing illegal about its service.
On its webpage it states: “Tickbox TV is legal. It does not archive, host, store or distribute any kind of media or content.
“Tickbox TV is only a directory or library of content which is hosted by third parties on the internet.
“The Tickbox TV acts as a receiver, allowing you to access streams and play them on your television.
“It does not download anything. Tickbox TV does not condone parties who pirate or download copyrighted media and this box is not to be used for such purposes.
“Tickbox TV is 100% legal. It is legal to stream content. It is illegal to download copy written material.”
However the content providers say the service gives users “nearly instantaneous access” to illegal content streams — including some titles that even available through legal streaming sites.
In a document submitted to a California federal court, attorney Kelly Klaus, states: “TickBox tells customers to ‘plug the Tickbox TV into your current television and enjoy unlimited access to ALL the hottest TV shows, Hollywood blockbusters and LIVE sporting events in one convenient little device … ABSOLUTELY FREE.
“What TickBox actually sells is nothing less than illegal access to Plaintiffs’ copyrighted content.”
“TickBox TV customers also have access to information about sources, including whether the source streams content in high-definition or standard-definition resolution,”
“The sources for some movies that are still in theaters are listed as ‘CAM,’ which indicates that the video was shot illegally by an individual using a camcorder or other recording device in a movie theater.”
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The studios and streaming services are now suing for copyright infringement and asking the court to impound all TickBox devices in the company’s possession.
TickBox TV is yet to comment on the suit but it’s a growing trend of content providers attempting to block illegal streams.
The Premier League recently launched a huge campaign which aims to block football matches from being available online for free and a number of add-ons have closed themselves down in fear of being fined or taken to court.
The news of this latest crackdown comes as the team behind Kodi continue to distance themselves from illegal streaming.
A recent Twitter row saw Kodi blast a popular add-on service by tweeting, “Let’s hope tvaddons gets shut down regardless, cause they bring nothing but misery to everyone.”
And in another set of tweets, posted this month, Kodi is even verbally attacking users who stream content illegally.
One user who tweeted Kodi, saying, “You’re an excellent pathway for pirate add-ons, keep up the good work,” got a kurt response.
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Kodi replied with the shocking message, “And you’re an excellent example of why contraception should be more widely considered.”
And in another tweet, the TV player suggested that users who stream content illegally should “just b***** off and never come back.”
Some still question why, if Kodi is so against piracy, do they still allow add-ons to be compatible with their player.
But speaking in its defence, Kodi community and project manager, Nathan Betzen, said: ”Even though pirate streaming appears to be illegal in Europe, we still stand by our neutral policy,
“We are developers and not the police, and we have no interest in acting as police for our own software.
“Kodi will remain as free and as open as it always has. Feel free to continue using Kodi however you want.
“To us Kodi is and always will be just a tool, like a hammer, and how you choose to use that tool is up to you.”