Illegal stream organisation jailed for total of 17 years

rangeral

Well-Known Member
Three sellers of illegal devices from pirate streaming organisation jailed for defrauding Premier League

The operators of a pirate streaming organisation have today been jailed for a total of 17 years for conspiracy to defraud; some of the longest sentences ever issued for piracy-related crimes.

Steven King, who masterminded the fraud, has been sentenced to seven years and four months’ imprisonment. Paul Rolston received a sentence of six years and four months, and Daniel Malone a sentence of three years and three months. The jury at Warwick Crown Court delivered their guilty verdict after a four-week trial.

Trading under the names Dreambox (unincorporated), Dreambox TV Limited, and Digital Switchover Limited, via websites at dreamboxtv.co.uk and yourfootie.com, the three men had provided illegal access to Premier League football to more than 1,000 pubs, clubs, and homes throughout England and Wales. The fraudulent companies earned in excess of £5million through their illegal activity.

The operation used a range of technologies to continue their fraud over the course of a decade. Most recently, the defendants engaged various third parties located in the UK and across Europe to create illegal broadcast streams, which they then sold on to their customers.

Their suppliers included Terry O’Reilly, who was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment in 2016 for a conspiracy to defraud the Premier League and its pay-TV providers. Over the course of the conspiracy, premium content from more than 20 broadcasters around the world was fraudulently obtained and supplied by the defendants.

All of these methods enabled users to view pay-TV without the permission of, and without making any appropriate payment to, the relevant broadcasters and content owners.

In handing down the sentences, the Judge described the operation as a “dishonest, dodgy business.”

The defendants’ serious attempts to frustrate broadcasters’ efforts in investigating the fraud, which included the use of logo-blocking and watermarking techniques, was an aggravating feature in the length of sentences.

The Judge also condemned “profoundly dishonest” publicans for profiting from the service themselves without paying the broadcasters.

Premier League Director of Legal Services Kevin Plumb said: “Today’s decision has provided further evidence that the law will catch up with companies and individuals that defraud rights owners and breach copyright. The custodial sentences issued here reflect the seriousness and the scale of the crimes.

“Using these services is unlawful and fans should be aware that when they do so they enter into agreements with illegal businesses. They also risk being victims of fraud or identity theft by handing over personal data and financial details.

“The Premier League's investment into cutting edge technology, combined with wide-ranging anti-piracy actions such as the one here today and the continuing landmark blocking injunction, means that it has never been more difficult for football piracy to operate in the UK.”

FACT Director General Kieron Sharp said: “The result of this case demonstrates that the illegal streaming of, and illegal access to, Premier League football is a serious crime. This was a criminal enterprise whose only function was to make money from defrauding the Premier League and the legitimate broadcasters.

“For those people using services such as this, do not think that this is a grey area – it is not, it is breaking the law. Do not think it is a victimless crime – it is not, it puts thousands of ordinary peoples’ jobs at risk. Do not think that the internet provides anonymity – it does not.”
 
But hey! Let’s set up a mortgage scheme where we sell mortgages to people we know can’t afford to pay for them, then bet said customers will default on the mortgage, bankrupt the US economy for billions and almost collapse the world economy, knowing none of us will spend a day in jail. Perfect.
 
Further proof that our whole legal system is weighted towards financial crime.

I watched 24 hours in police custody last night and a paedo/drug dealer from Luton on the programme was caught with £160,000 from drug dealing and got 6 years. He was also found with 54,000 indecent images of children and got a further 18 months. I am absolutely speechless
 
Further proof that our whole legal system is weighted towards financial crime.

I watched 24 hours in police custody last night and a paedo/drug dealer from Luton on the programme was caught with £160,000 from drug dealing and got 6 years. He was also found with 54,000 indecent images of children and got a further 18 months. I am absolutely speechless
Been going this way for a long time , the country is about donald ducked , to be fair.
 
Always bigger sentences for money crimes.

Great train robbers being a case in point. Obviously assaulting the driver made it worse from a judicial viewpoint but I recall my dad saying they got really heavy sentences because the made the establishment look stupid.

I appreciate the streamers were operating an illegal scam but the sentences seem mad although I read they netted £5m on the bbc which seems astonishing.
 
Why didn't we have these people who prosecuted them deal with Craig Whyte, Duff and Phelps, Green and their ilk they did much worse and got no punishment.
 
If the big corporations actually made their tv packages affordable then they wouldn't have this issue but their own greed is fucking them over and long may it continue

Not sure I agree with that SKY must have EPL and can’t afford to lose it and competition and the fear of losing it means they pay more and more which pushes the cost up. However I do not get the price that pubs pay how is that justified? Equally did a pub not win a case to use Greek equipment to screen games?
 
Not sure I agree with that SKY must have EPL and can’t afford to lose it and competition and the fear of losing it means they pay more and more which pushes the cost up. However I do not get the price that pubs pay how is that justified? Equally did a pub not win a case to use Greek equipment to screen games?
The pubs always pay a premium due to the fact they are screening it to an audience and they know if they have the football showing it will attract the punters in for pints etc
 
Trading under the names Dreambox (unincorporated), Dreambox TV Limited, and Digital Switchover Limited, via websites at dreamboxtv.co.uk and yourfootie.com, the three men had provided illegal access to Premier League football to more than 1,000 pubs, clubs, and homes throughout England and Wales. The fraudulent companies earned in excess of £5million through their illegal activity.

The operation used a range of technologies to continue their fraud over the course of a decade

So they were charging £500 per year per "pub, club and home"? That seems a bit unlikely.
 
"Do not think it is a victimless crime – it is not, it puts thousands of ordinary peoples’ jobs at risk. Do not think that the internet provides anonymity – it does not."

Bs it just risks the real crooks profiteering from football and the bloated wages of average footballers playing in england. %^*& them.

Give us fair deals (sky, bt and premier sports packages to watch all scottish football this year and the all put a pittance compared to what they give English football) or it will continue to be stolen
 
I remember seeing actual sponsored dreambox adverts on Facebook FFS, they were anything but subtle about it.

IPTV will always stay one step ahead of the content providers, as long as they don’t get cocky like those dreambox boys.
 
Talk about heavy handed...

Violent criminals get less time. Don’t mess with the cash cow or you’ll face the full force of the law. Yet part of me hopes the pirates continue and the CL, EPL, and the other greedy bassas who have ruined football as a working mans game come crashing down
 
It's funny, I know quite a few policemen who investigate this type of thing who also subscribe to various streaming websites via kodi for their sports...

But kodi is free, therefore no fraud. If it's free then it's a civil matter and the police would not become involved.

However, if they are paying a subscription to streaming sites then the are potentially committing an offence themselves... but I'd imagine it's those taking the money that will get done rather than those paying it.
 
Further proof that our whole legal system is weighted towards financial crime.

I watched 24 hours in police custody last night and a paedo/drug dealer from Luton on the programme was caught with £160,000 from drug dealing and got 6 years. He was also found with 54,000 indecent images of children and got a further 18 months. I am absolutely speechless
Only in a dystopian alternate universe (ie the pathetic British legal system) could sex crimes against children be seen as a far less serious offence than supplying drugs.
 
Great train robbers being a case in point. Obviously assaulting the driver made it worse from a judicial viewpoint but I recall my dad saying they got really heavy sentences because the made the establishment look stupid.

I appreciate the streamers were operating an illegal scam but the sentences seem mad although I read they netted £5m on the bbc which seems astonishing.
5 million over 10 years between 3 of them. Sentences are a effing disgrace
 
Further proof that our whole legal system is weighted towards financial crime.

I watched 24 hours in police custody last night and a paedo/drug dealer from Luton on the programme was caught with £160,000 from drug dealing and got 6 years. He was also found with 54,000 indecent images of children and got a further 18 months. I am absolutely speechless

I watched that too.

The fact that the police officer was so please this scumbag peado was going to get jailtime when usually they get let off with a warning was really sad to see.
 
With both deemed less serious than running an illegal streaming service, the one victimless crime.
It’s not victimless though. My sky and bt subscriptions are higher because other people can’t be arsed to pay for the privilege. Britain is now a country riddled with entitlement.
 
It’s not victimless though. My sky and bt subscriptions are higher because other people can’t be arsed to pay for the privilege. Britain is now a country riddled with entitlement.

If Virgin and Sky dropped their prices to more manageable figures then they would get more subscribers and turn people away from IPTV.

My Virgin package is £115 a month for 2 boxes and Sky Sports / BT Sport's.

I know I can get an IPTV provider to give me all the channels on Virgin plus additional subscription channels such as Premier / Box Nation as well as USA channels to get 3PM Saturday EPL games for under £100 A YEAR.

The arrogance and ignorance of Virgin and Sky is what caused this issue with IPTV.

Sky Sports lost the Champions League and Europa League, replaced it with lesser quality programming and out their prices up. It's just ridiculous.
 
It’s not victimless though. My sky and bt subscriptions are higher because other people can’t be arsed to pay for the privilege. Britain is now a country riddled with entitlement.

The victimless card is played so people can justify to themselves that what they are doing is fine. Its the similar thought pattern that most people involved in theft and fraud use.
 
If Virgin and Sky dropped their prices to more manageable figures then they would get more subscribers and turn people away from IPTV.

My Virgin package is £115 a month for 2 boxes and Sky Sports / BT Sport's.

I know I can get an IPTV provider to give me all the channels on Virgin plus additional subscription channels such as Premier / Box Nation as well as USA channels to get 3PM Saturday EPL games for under £100 A YEAR.

The arrogance and ignorance of Virgin and Sky is what caused this issue with IPTV.

Sky Sports lost the Champions League and Europa League, replaced it with lesser quality programming and out their prices up. It's just ridiculous.

You can pay £9.99 for Spotify, which gives music lovers access pretty much access to every song in the world. Yet people continue to stream musically illegally, reducing prices I agree will reduce people looking for illegal streams for sports but it won't stop it or anything close to it. People by nature will always look for cheaper alternatives.

I do agree though that TV subs are way too high, but ultimately this is the "fault" of the Sports not the TV companies.

I take it that Virgin price you quote includes, internet and phone? Surely you are not paying that just for the TV packages?
 
If Virgin and Sky dropped their prices to more manageable figures then they would get more subscribers and turn people away from IPTV.

My Virgin package is £115 a month for 2 boxes and Sky Sports / BT Sport's.

I know I can get an IPTV provider to give me all the channels on Virgin plus additional subscription channels such as Premier / Box Nation as well as USA channels to get 3PM Saturday EPL games for under £100 A YEAR.

The arrogance and ignorance of Virgin and Sky is what caused this issue with IPTV.

Sky Sports lost the Champions League and Europa League, replaced it with lesser quality programming and out their prices up. It's just ridiculous.
It doesn’t work that way though mate. Greed is being driven at the top end of the game and people need to either accept it and pay for it or just be realistic and recognise if they can’t afford it or don’t want to pay the level being asked for. These companies are in the shit financially, relatively speaking. BT overpaid for the CL and Sky have been taken over. It’s not that they are creaming it for themselves.

The point is the vast majority of people that use illegal streams, etc. wouldn’t suddenly revert to sky or cable if they were to pay £80, instead of £100. They are doing it because they just don't want to pay. The companies then incur legal costs going after all of these companies/people doing what those in the OP do.
 
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