4 illegal streamers arrested in UK as online piracy continues

The British authorities have turned their attention to the growing problem of online piracy. As a result, several investigations have been carried out, which have led to the following conclusion: 4 arrests this month alone.

Arrest No. 1

One of the most recent arrests took place in Nottingham, when a 42-year-old man was taken into custody, allegedly Providing illegal streams of Sky TV content.

Arrest No. 2

Last week, a 40-year-old man named Michael Hornung from Greater Manchester was arrested and sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for Advertising and sale of special set-top boxes which gave viewers access to pirated streaming content.

Arrest No. 3

Another 52-year-old man was also arrested in Stockton-on-Tees. He was allegedly involved in another illegal streaming operation This was initially investigated by the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Arrest No. 4

A similar story happened with a 41-year-old man from Liverpool who was given a two-year suspended sentence by Merseyside Police’s Cyber ​​Crime Unit earlier this month after pleading guilty to the charges Advertising and sale of illegally modified Amazon Fire Sticks.

Essentially, this meant that users got access to premium movies, TV content, and even live football matches, while Amazon didn’t get a penny.

“These cases underline the importance of protecting legitimate providers and the importance of coordinated law enforcement action in the fight against digital piracy” – Kieron Sharp, CEO of the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT)

He said that with these arrests they want to send a message that There will be consequences for piracyIf someone is involved in the sale or distribution of content that they do not own or have a license for, they can expect to be investigated and even convicted.

Why the sudden attention to online piracy?

Online piracy has always existed, but recently it has become a bigger problem due to financial difficulties, rising subscription fees and technological advancements.

And while it might make life easier for some people, it is not fair to the original creators and owner of the content.

Every year approx. Media companies miss out on $75 billion in revenueLarge corporations can absorb this blow, but small producers suffer the most.

Not only that, but the loss of revenue also means fewer jobs in the industry. In short, if online piracy continues to grow at this rate, almost everyone involved in the entertainment industry will suffer.

Streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney have also cracked down on password sharing to increase subscribers and revenue. Netflix reported a small but steady 6% revenue growth in the March 2024 quarter compared to the December 2023 quarter. Disney is also close to profitability and has reduced losses.

The UK authorities’ aggressive crackdown on piracy will help these streaming platforms win back their customers and make profits.