Kodi CRACKDOWN – Shocking new stat shows why millions could be at risk from legal action

Millions of users are putting themselves at risk from legal action with many still watching premium content without permission.

Kodi has become hugely popular in recent years with the TV player allowing users to access online streams without paying.

Kodi itself is perfectly legal with the team behind the player actively distancing themselves from illegal streams.

However, the open platform allows users to access add-ons which can show sporting events, TV and movies without paying.

In recent months many rights holders, including the Premier League, have been trying stop these illegal streams but new stats may reveal the scale of the problem.

According to a report from Torrentfreak, a recent meeting by the Motion Picture Association of America, revealed that around 70 per cent of all Kodi users still stream content illegally.

The statement was made by MPAA Senior Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Neil Fried, who explained that there are around 38 million Kodi customers across the world.

If the MPAA calculations are correct it would mean around 26 million people are still streaming content without permission – whilst only 11 million are playing by the rules.

This shocking statistic may prove that users have not been put off by the recent crackdown or new threats of legal action.

Earlier this year the Digital Economy Act became law in the UK.

This raised the maximum possible sentence for online copyright infringement offences from two to 10 years.

It currently appears that officials are only targeting those selling so called “fully loaded” Kodi boxes but this could change in the future.

Kieron Sharp, the chief executive of the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), said those who use illegal Kodi add-ons “are committing criminal offences”.

Speaking to The Independent earlier this year, he said: “What we’ve been looking at in conjunction with many of our clients and members are the different levels of crime being committed.

“There’s the manufacture and importation of devices, and then the distribution and selling of those. We’re also looking at the people who are providing the apps and add-ons, the developers.

“And then we’ll also be looking at, at some point, the end user. The reason for end users to come into this is that they are committing criminal offences.”

It’s not clear how, or when, illegal users of Kodi will be targeted but with 26 million thought to be breaking the law it’s a huge undertaking to bring an end to streaming content without paying.

However, one recent landmark case did see a .

Brian Thompson, 55, had initially denied the charges but he changed his plea to guilty last month. 

At Teesside Crown Court, Thompson, of Middlesbrough, was sentenced for one count of selling and one count of advertising devices “designed, produced or adapted for the purpose of enabling the circumvention of effective technological measures”.

Judge Peter Armstrong told him: “If anyone was under any illusion as to whether such devices as these, fully loaded Kodi boxes, were illegal or not, they can no longer be in any doubt.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that in all the circumstances, an immediate custodial sentence is not called for.

“As a warning to others in future, they may not be so lucky.”

The judge gave Thompson, who runs Cutprice Tomo TVs in Middlesbrough, an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.