Police hope the latest action against those streaming with dodgy Fire TV Sticks will send “a strong message” to those breaking copyright law by watching Sky TV without paying — warning individuals, “we are homing in”.
Fire TV Sticks, built and distributed by Amazon, are an incredibly popular and affordable way to bring games and streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and ITVX to any television with an HDMI port. The lightweight hardware supports chatty AI assistant Alexa, which can control smart lighting, internet-connected thermostats, Ring video doorbells, and other smart home devices.
However, this low-cost streaming hardware is often used by criminals to offer a painless way to watch copyrighted material at a fraction of the cost.
Modified Fire TV Sticks, sometimes referred to as “fully loaded”, can be used to unlock access to live Premier League streams, the latest Hollywood blockbusters, and exclusive series from HBO, Netflix, and Disney+, to name just a few.
A 42-year-old man from Nottingham was arrested for using equipment to distribute TV shows, movies, and sports exclusive to Sky TV packages at no cost via illegal streams.
Modified Fire TV Sticks are designed to enable hassle-free access to copyrighted material for free
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The individual was arrested under various acts including the Proceeds of Crime Act, Computer Misuse Act, and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act. He has since been bailed whilst the investigation continues.
Detective Sergeant David Beach, who works in Nottinghamshire Police’s Cyber Crime Unit, said: “This action sends out a strong message that we are homing in on those who knowingly commit or facilitate online copyright infringement.”
“Not only is there an enormous loss to the entertainment industry with this particular operation but it is also unfair that millions of people work hard to afford their subscription-only TV services while others cheat the system,” he added. “Some may think paying for illegal streaming devices and services is a victimless crime but that isn’t the case.”
Speaking about the latest crackdown from police, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky Matt Hibbert said: “We’d like to thank Nottinghamshire Police’s Cyber Crime Team for taking this strong action against illegal streaming operators. We will continue to support law enforcement to protect our content, tackle illegal streaming, and help keep consumers safe from the risks illegal streaming can pose.”
It follows a flurry of activity from law enforcement to clamp down on illicit streaming across the UK.
In Stockton-on-Tees, a 52-year-old man was arrested under suspicion of being involved in an entirely separate illegal streaming operation first uncovered by the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit. Earlier this month, Merseyside Police Cyber Crime Unit confirmed that a 41-year-old man from Liverpool was handed a two-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to charges of promoting and selling modified Fire TV Sticks that offered access to paid-for films, TV shows, and live Premier League matches.
Back in March, FACT worked in conjunction with the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit and the Premier League to target 11 individuals across the UKwho were selling illegal access to premium TV content, including live Premier League matches via modified or so-called “fully loaded” Smart TV devices or Fire TV Sticks.
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Illicit streams can be viewed online in a web browser, via a modified device like a “dodgy” or “fully loaded” Fire TV Stick, or with third-party add-on software to platforms like Kodi.
The umbrella term for all of these devices and methods is IPTV, or Internet Protocol Television, which describes how the content is delivered via a broadband connection. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily imply anything illegal, Sky Stream is an IPTV device that offers legal access to Sky Sports, Sky Atlantic, Netflix, and more.
With the advent of easy-to-use streaming services, like Netflix and Spotify, piracy rates slumped. But with the spiralling number of services required to watch the most popular shows and subscription prices steadily increasing, the cost of living crisis has seen many individuals hunt for cheaper ways to access content.
This has proven to be a goldmine for those willing to sell so-called “dodgy” Fire TV sticks — devices loaded with premium shows, films, and football streams. Sometimes these devices come with a monthly subscription, although it’s usually less than the best Sky Stream deals can offer.
Sky TV has exclusive deals with a number of hit US shows from HBO, including House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, Succession, Euphoria, Mare of Easttown, The Wire, and Game Of Thrones. It also commissions a huge number of its own shows, like the award-winning comedy Brassic, I Hate Suzie, and Chernobyl.
It also has the rights to hundreds of Premier League and English Football League games, which will be broadcast as part of a rebooted Sky Sports+ service in the coming months. Sky Cinema offers early access to Hollywood movies as well as Vue cinema tickets each month.
Law enforcement previously warned those who are watching or distributing fully loaded Fire TV Sticks in the UK to “expect a knock at the door”. Earlier this year, GB News revealed that Chat-GPT could offer advice for those looking to leverage Fire TV Stick devices to watch Sky TV content for free.
A recent study found that 90% of the 50 illegal streaming sites analysed were classified as risky.
“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,” warned Detective Inspector Steve Frame.
“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. 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.”