Brian Thompson, a Middlesbrough trader, has been prosecuted for selling set-top boxes running Android that come pre-installed with the Kodi/XBMC open source media centre software.
A Middlesbrough trader is set to make legal history as the first person to be prosecuted for selling Android boxes. Following an 18-month investigation, Brian Thompson has been told Middlesbrough Council is taking him to court in what could prove a landmark case.
The council claims the boxes are illegal, but Brian said: "I am pleading not guilty and I'm going to fight this."
The kit - also known as a 'Kodi box' - allows viewers to watch copyright material like Premier League football and Hollywood movies for free. As such there are major question marks over both their legality, and exactly just what people can safely watch.
What seems to be at issue here is that some traders, perhaps Thompson, were selling these set-top boxes preloaded with third-party Kodi add-ons that permit access to media in violation of copyright law. More coverage at the BBC.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 28 2016, @03:55AM
Fuck their brand, I want to watch what I want to watch, and if Kodi gets compunctions about plugins that help me do that, I'll go with a fork.
(Score: 2) by Aiwendil on Wednesday September 28 2016, @06:38AM
Which actually is what they want you to do (that is - stop using their name if you want to use the program for negative-PR stuff [so, if you're going to sell it to Joe Schmucks it is preferred that you rebrand it]).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 29 2016, @04:13AM
piratel.ly domain is available (pirate+telly)