Kodi block not working as millions still accessing these streams illegally

THE attack on illegal streaming, via Players such as Kodi, continues but it seems the blocks and bans are simply not working.

Illegal streaming, via Kodi-style add-ons, continues to be a major issue for copyright holders and the authorities.

Over the past year, there have been a number of campaigns targeting streams which are aimed at stopping people watching content illegally online.

The most recent came from UEFA who’s high court order to instantly block streams is now in full force.

Some of the UK's biggest ISP's including BT, Virgin Media and Sky have also been told they must take immediate action and will have to block any illicit streams.

This new ruling comes after the Premier League also gained a legal right to block streams being broadcast over the web.

However, despite some content clearly being stopped, a new report suggests millions of football fans are still watching games without permission.

Data from Irdeto reveals that a total of 5,100 unique illegal streams were detected redistributing games over the internet during this year’s Champions League knockout stages.

Of this total, 2,093 streams were detected across social media channels including Periscope, Facebook and Twitch and are estimated to have reached 4,893,902 viewers.

In their research, Irdeto said that while the availability of these streams may seem attractive to consumers, or even fool them into believing they’re legitimate, these illegal streams are often lower in quality and put consumers at risk of missing crucial moments from the European games as they are taken down or drop-out.

“Criminals have targeted premium sports content such as the European Champions League and are earning a fortune from stealing the rights.

"This makes it crucial for content owners, rights holders and platform owners to work together and enlist technology and proactive services to take down streams in real-time,” said Rory O’Connor, Senior Vice President of Cybersecurity Services, Irdeto.

“The criminals who profit from these illegal streams have little regard for their viewers and are exposing them to cybercrime, inappropriate content and malware infection. Also, viewers of illegal content can face criminal penalties if they decide to share content with friends on social media.”

Although this latest research suggests some streams are continuing to get through, the crackdown does appear to be having some impact.

Speaking about the Premier League's efforts to stop illegal content being viewed, Director of Legal Services, Kevin Plumb, said: “This blocking Order is a game-changer in our efforts to tackle the supply and use of illicit streams of our content.

“It will allow us to quickly and effectively block and disrupt the illegal broadcast of Premier League football via any means, including so called ‘pre-loaded Kodi boxes’.

“The protection of our copyright, and the investment made by our broadcast partners, is hugely important to the Premier League and the future health of English football

And a Sky spokesperson added: "We are in the middle of a significant shift in tackling this type of piracy, a fightback that is making it harder and harder for people to stream content illegally.

"Last season's action by the English Premier League had a significant impact on traffic to illegal streams of live football matches, and we welcome the decision to allow this crack down to continue in the coming season.”

There have also been a number of high profile cases in recent months which highlight the risks of illegal streaming.

Following the Anthony Joshua v Wladimir Klitschko fight last April, one Sky customer had to pay £5,000 after his account was linked to an illegal stream.

The stream of the Sky Box Office event, which was viewed by some 4,250 people at its peak, was broadcast on Facebook Live for free.

The Sky customer who account was linked to the stream, besides having to pay a hefty amount of legal costs, also had their account cancelled.

While there are multiple other cases of illegal streaming of content resulting in fees of up to £45,000.

There’s also been a big focus on developers with one current case seeing two popular add-ons taken to court by US broadcaster Dish Network and it could send shockwaves through the add-on community.

TVAddons and ZemTV have been accused of copyright infringement and it seems this legal challenge is causing a major issue for the people behind the software.

ZemTV’s developer, Shahjahan Durrani, has recently spoken out about his battle with Dish Network and mounting legal bills he is facing.

Talking to TorrentFreak, Shahjahan revealed he has been unable to properly defend himself as he simply can’t afford the mounting costs involved.

Without a defence, it could mean the court opts for a default judgment which may leave Durrani facing huge fines and costs.

This latest news comes after another service was fined £600,000 by the Premier League for breaching its copyright.

Ace Hosting had, until recently, enabled customers to stream Premier League games illegally for a small monthly fee.

Along with the huge payment, Ace voluntarily disclosed the personal details of their customers.

Liquidators are now in the process of deciding whether to hand over subscribers’ personal details to the Premier League and/or the authorities.