TVAddOns goes a step further against pirates

POPULAR Kodi add-on site TVAddOns has posted an advertisement for a volunteer to help police its app repository for those that offer free streaming of premium, paid-for content, like Sky Sports.

TVAddOns is taking another step to ensure its platform is not used by pirates.

The hugely-successful Kodi add-on repository is looking to hire a volunteer to help police the third-party apps shared on its service.

TVAddons is one of the most popular online destinations for third-party apps – dubbed add-ons – for Kodi.

For those unaware, Kodi is a neutral, open-source media player that can be installed on a broad range of devices – from discount set-top boxes powered by Android, to known brands, like Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Add-ons can be built by third-party developers to enable a number of additional features, including the ability to stream premium content, like paid-for sports and movie channels, for free without permission from the rightsholders.

TVAddons is one of the largest repositories for Kodi add-ons online.

The website sees 19 million monthly active users.

TVAddons was briefly shut down in June 2017, following the seizure of its domain and social media accounts.

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The add-on repository resurfaced later in the year, and quickly regained its previous levels of popularity.

However, since its return the service has been tougher on piracy add-ons and illicit software.

When it returned, TVAddOns posted a message on its homepage that confirmed it would be “100 percent DMCA compliant.”

The DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) is a copyright law in the United States that prohibits the sharing of copyrighted material without the correct licences online.

“Are you passionate about open source software? Do you feel strongly against illicit online piracy?” TVAddOns asks in its advertisement for a compliance officer.

“Do you have any past work experience as a lawyer, paralegal or law enforcement officer? If you feel like you reflect this description, we want to hear from you! The only catch is that this is an unpaid volunteer position.”

It adds, “Potential candidates must be capable of working independently from the rest of our team in order to maintain the strictest level of objectivity.

“We cater to people from all around the world. Addons scraping foreign language sources have been particularly difficult to assess, so bonus points if you’re linguistically gifted.

“We understand that we’re asking a lot, and that if you meet our criteria you probably have a pretty sweet day job. This position might however look good on your resumé.”

The announcement follows a tumultuous time for Kodi.

Earlier this year, research from FACT revealed that there are now one million Kodi Boxes in use across the UK.

The FACT research was conducted in association with the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, Intellectual Property Office, Police Scotland, and anti-piracy outfit Entura International.

It estimated that up to 25 per cent of the online viewing public access content illegally online via third-party add-ons.

According to the FACT report, the UK is one of the countries most affected by the increasing demand for Kodi boxes.

Those supplying the Kodi Boxes range from individuals building boxes for a select few friends and family, to sprawling organised crime networks.

There has been a steady stream of reports of individuals who have been arrested for selling these devices, however, FACT claims these are just the "tip of the iceberg".

According to FACT, there are a number of large-scale operations currently in the early stages.

However, the organisation is unable to specify any other details at the moment. The crackdown on so-called Kodi Boxes in the UK is likely to carry severe penalties.