Kodi box seller fined as Premier League piracy crackdown nets double salvo

A UK seller of so-called ‘Kodi boxes’ has been slapped with a hefty fine for breaching Premier League copyright, as the crackdown on illegal Kodi streaming claims another scalp.

UK-based copyright protection group FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) publicised the news that a Harrow, Middlesex man named as Nayanesh Patel had been fined £18,000 for selling “Kodi-type” boxes on a number of platforms, including eBay and Facebook.

A second, unnamed man who supplied subscriptions to free Premier League streams via Kodi was fined £8000, the organisation reports.

The fines represent a low-level win for the Premier League – and, perhaps more importantly, a stark warning to other ‘fully loaded’ Kodi box sellers – in its ongoing fight against pirate streams.

“This case shows there are serious consequences for sellers of pre-loaded boxes and is a warning for anyone who thinks they might get away with this type of activity,” said Kevin Plumb, Premier League Director of Legal Services, in a statement.

He continues: “The Premier League is currently engaged in a comprehensive copyright protection programme that includes targeting and taking action against sellers of pre-loaded devices, and any ISPs or hosts that facilitate the broadcast of pirated Premier League content.”

More significant recent victories include a High Court order compelling UK ISPs to actively block illegal broadcasts, and a ruling against Dutch virtual server provider Ecatel requiring it to remove all Premier League content or face penalties of up €1.5m (~£1.3m).

The Premier League has also been actively engaged in anti-piracy initiatives in Spain, Thailand, and Singapore, according to FACT.

Kodi, as we’ve said before and will continue to stress, is a perfectly legal piece of home theatre software. However, its open source nature means that it’s fertile ground for addons that provide easy access to copyrighted material, including illegal streams of live sport – though there are plenty of great legal Kodi addons as well.