Amazon’s Indian Branch Targets Pirate Streaming Apps Hosted on GitHub

Amazon is cracking down on pirate streaming apps that offer unauthorized access to Prime Video content. The company recently filed DMCA takedown notices with GitHub to remove APKs associated with popular apps such as PikaShow, Castle, and FlixFox. Interestingly, the takedown requests were made on behalf of Amazon Seller Services, an Indian subsidiary not typically linked to Amazon's streaming platform.

GitHub is no stranger when it comes to DMCA takedown requests. In the first half of this year, it processed over a thousand takedown notices, removing 18,472 projects.

Put into context, however, these numbers are less spectacular. With more than 500 million open source projects, it’s no surprise that a tiny fraction break the rules.

Allegations of infringement can take different forms. In some cases, it’s claimed that code from third-party creators is being used without permission, while others target pirated files or software stored on GitHub for convenience. The latter is particularly popular with pirate streaming apps, which use GitHub to store Android APK files.

Amazon Cracks Down on Pirate Streaming APKs

This week, anti-piracy outfit MarkScan sent three DMCA takedown notices to GitHub, flagging problematic APKs. On behalf of Amazon, GitHub was asked to remove APK files related to the streaming apps PikaShow, Castle and FlixFox.

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PikaShow is the most prominent target. The software has been downloaded millions of times and made headlines in 2022 as the official sponsor of the Afghan cricket team.

Whether the APK file that was hosted on GitHub has anything to do with the original app is doubtful. The popular PikaShow brand has been used by dozens of unrelated apps, who simply use the name to draw traffic.

In any event, the APK files are no longer available on GitHub today. The Castle app links to a “repository unavailable” message while the PikaShow and FlixFox apps return 404 errors.

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Amazon Seller Services

There is little doubt that these apps provided access to infringing material. However, it’s worth highlighting that the takedown request wasn’t sent on behalf of Amazon MGM Studios, the division responsible for Amazon Prime content.

Instead, MarkScan sent its request on behalf of the Indian subsidiary Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd, which is involved in the retail side of the business.

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The DMCA notice doesn’t mention any specific copyrighted works, however. Instead, it simply refers to Primevideo.com. That was sufficient for GitHub to honor the request.

More APK Pirates

The Amazon takedown is just one illustration of the app piracy problem. This year alone, GitHub has processed dozens of takedown notices from various rightsholders, asking it to remove hosted APKs and other software.

Hotstar, for example, flagged the HD Streamz and RTS TV apps. Paramount reported a Pluto TV player, Digiturk targeted SimsekTV, and Sony reported Multimovies and Ask4movie, among many other apps.

Earlier this week, Sky Italia also chimed in, reporting various copies of the Ola TV app, which also exists in various forms.

GitHub complied with the takedown requests and removed over a dozen APKs. However, that doesn’t completely eliminate the problem. Tellingly, the “Ola TV” website at the top of Google’s search results still links to a GitHub-hosted APK today.

As a word of caution, it’s important to note that many of these apps are knockoffs, purely created to generate profit. And since the movies and TV-series are free, users typically ‘pay’ in other ways. That’s not necessarily limited to ads.