The Premier League and Sky brought a complaint against someone running an illegal streaming service from Lebanon, resulting in a 11-month prison sentence and a hefty fine
A provider of illegal Premier League streams has been sent to prison in Lebanon after being found guilty of five charges. The defendant was convicted of various intellectual property and cybercrime-related offences in a landmark ruling.
They were sentenced to 11 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $90,000 (£69,000) in penalties and damages. The conviction was the result of a joint complaint brought by the Premier League, Sky and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and involved work from the Lebanese Cyber Crime Bureau.
“The outcome of this case highlights the severity with which courts across the world continue to treat all forms of piracy, and the stark consequences for those responsible for this criminality,” Kevin Plumb, Premier League general counsel, said.
“The case further demonstrates the Premier League’s commitment to protecting its intellectual property around the world. This is not only important to us and our broadcast partners, but it is essential for the future health of English football and the protection of our fans.
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“This case perfectly shows the benefits of working alongside other rights owners. I would like to thank our co-complainants, Sky and ACE, for their trusted partnership throughout these unique and complex proceedings leading up to this conviction.”
The move comes after a crackdown in the UK on so-called ‘dodgy’ Fire TV sticks. Users were warned in December that those using illicit streaming devices “risk facing serious consequences”.
A private prosecution undertaken by the Premier League resulted in Jonathan Edge, a 29-year-old from Liverpool, receiving a three-year prison sentence for selling and using illicit Firesticks.
Speaking about the Lebanese case, Matt Hibbert, group director of anti-piracy at Sky, said: “This ruling sends a strong message that those who illegally steal our content will be pursued and can be brought to justice, no matter where in the world they are. We thank the Premier League, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment and international law enforcement, whose partnership with us in fighting piracy is critical.
“The Lebanese judicial authorities in Lebanon, in collaboration with the Lebanese Cyber Crime Bureau successfully pursued the prosecution of this individual, who has been involved in the egregious theft of content for many years.
“We will continue to take steps to shut down organised criminal networks who are intent on stealing our content and whose activities expose consumers to real risks of malware, identity theft and data loss.”
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