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posted by cmn32480 on Thursday February 09 2017, @07:53PM   Printer-friendly
from the streaming-gets-you-sent-up-the-river dept.

Five people have been arrested, accused of selling set-top boxes modified to stream subscription football matches, television channels and films for free.

The sale of so-called "fully loaded Kodi boxes" has been called a "top priority" by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact).

The five traders were arrested in early morning raids.

Fact said it believed the suspects had made in the region of £250,000 selling the devices online.

Kodi is free software built by volunteers to bring videos, music, games and photographs together in one easy-to-use application.

Some shops sell legal set-top boxes and TV sticks, often called Kodi boxes, preloaded with the software.

The latest battle in the Forever War...


Original Submission

Related Stories

MPAA Chief Focuses Attention on the Kodi Platform 44 comments

In an interview with Variety, the Motion Picture Association of America's CEO Chris Dodd spoke out about the growing popularity of Kodi open source media player:

While torrent sites have been a thorn in the side of the MPAA for more than a decade, there's a new kid on the block. Speaking at the Berlin Film Festival, MPAA chief Chris Dodd cited the growing use of the Kodi platform for piracy, describing the problem as the "$64,000 question."

[...] Legal battles over the misuse of the platform are ongoing, mainly in the UK and the Netherlands, where test cases have the ability to clarify the legal position, at least for sellers of so-called "fully loaded" devices. Interestingly, up until now, the MPAA has stayed almost completely quiet, despite a dramatic rise in the use of Kodi for illicit streaming. Yesterday, however, the silence was broken.

In an interview with Variety during the Berlin Film Festival, MPAA chief Chris Dodd described the Kodi-with-addons situation as "new-generation piracy". "The $64,000 question is what can be done about such illegal use of the Kodi platform," Dodd said.

While $64,000 is a tempting offer, responding to that particular question with a working solution will take much more than that. Indeed, one might argue that dealing with it in any meaningful way will be almost impossible.

First of all, Kodi is open source and has been since its inception in 2002. As a result, trying to target the software itself would be like stuffing toothpaste back in a tube. It's out there, it isn't coming back, and pissing off countless developers is extremely ill-advised. Secondly, the people behind Kodi have done absolutely nothing wrong. Their software is entirely legal and if their public statements are to be believed, they're as sick of piracy as the entertainment companies are. The third problem is how Kodi itself works. While to the uninitiated it looks like one platform, a fully-modded 'pirate' Kodi setup can contain many third-party addons, each capable of aggregating content from dozens or even hundreds of sites. Not even the mighty MPAA can shut them all down, and even if it could, more would reappear later. It's the ultimate game of whac-a-mole.

Previously: XBMC Is Getting a New Name: "Kodi"
Middlesbrough Trader Prosecuted for Selling Streaming Boxes Preloaded With Kodi
Five Arrests in 'Fully Loaded' Kodi Streaming Box Raids

[Ed Note: This is the same Chris Dodd who served 30 years as a US Senator from Connecticut. Probably best known for the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.]


Original Submission

Kodi Returns to its Roots With an Xbox One Release 1 comment

The Kodi media player has re-entered the Xbox ecosystem. But can it be "fully loaded"?

The popular Kodi media player software returned to its roots today. The team just announced that Kodi for Xbox One is available worldwide through the Microsoft and Xbox store. This means that the project, which once started as the Xbox Media Player, has come full circle. [...] The roots of Kodi are directly connected to the Xbox, as the first iterations of the project were called the "Xbox Media Player." As time went by XBMP became XBMC, and eventually Kodi. The last name change made sense as the software was no longer being developed for Xbox, but for other devices, running on Linux, Windows, OSX, and Android.

While the broader public was perfectly happy with this, the sentimental few were missing the Xbox connection. For them, and many others, Kodi has a surprise in store today after returning to its roots. "Let us end the year 2017 with a blast including a nostalgic reference to the past," the Kodi team announced. "It has long been asked for by so many and now it finally happened. Kodi for Xbox One is available worldwide through Windows and Xbox Store."

Also at Engadget.

See also: Our 'Kodi Box' Is Legal & Our Users Don't Break the Law, TickBox Tells Hollywood

Previously: XBMC Is Getting a New Name: "Kodi"
Five Arrests in 'Fully Loaded' Kodi Streaming Box Raids
MPAA Chief Focuses Attention on the Kodi Platform
Kodi Panic in the UK and Popularity in North America
Kodi Add-on Library "TVAddons" Disappears After Lawsuit
Hollywood Strikes Back Against Illegal Streaming Kodi Add-Ons


Original Submission

Two New Lawsuits Against Makers of "Pirate Streaming Devices" 27 comments

Netflix, Amazon and Hollywood Sue Kodi-Powered Dragon Box Over Piracy

Several major Hollywood studios, Amazon, and Netflix have filed a lawsuit against Dragon Media Inc, branding it a supplier of pirate streaming devices. The companies accuse Dragon of using the Kodi media player in combination with pirate addons to facilitate mass copyright infringement via its Dragon Box device. [...] In recent months these boxes have become the prime target for copyright enforcers, including the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), an anti-piracy partnership between Hollywood studios, Netflix, Amazon, and more than two dozen other companies.

After suing Tickbox last year a group of key ACE members have now filed a similar lawsuit against Dragon Media Inc, which sells the popular Dragon Box. The complaint, filed at a California federal court, also lists the company's owner Paul Christoforo and reseller Jeff Williams among the defendants.

According to ACE, these type of devices are nothing more than pirate tools, allowing buyers to stream copyright infringing content. That also applies to Dragon Box, they inform the court. "Defendants market and sell 'Dragon Box,' a computer hardware device that Defendants urge their customers to use as a tool for the mass infringement of the copyrighted motion pictures and television shows," the complaint, picked up by HWR, reads.

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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday February 09 2017, @08:21PM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Thursday February 09 2017, @08:21PM (#465229) Journal

    Kieron Sharp, director general of Fact, said the arrests "should send out a clear warning to anyone involved in the sale and distribution of illegal set-top boxes".

    "Set-top boxes loaded with apps and add-ons allowing access to copyright infringing material are very much illegal and anyone involved in selling these boxes should not be surprised to receive a knock on the door," he said.

    Nice try, linking a grey area activity which should probably be found legal to the completely legal use of this software. Unless Brits are even more fucked than I realized.

    I use a fully loaded Kodi stick in the U.S. Streaming sites or direct downloads fill any remaining gaps. Rarely do I have to grab a torrent. Maybe for niche content or something like the top 50 ebooks of the month.

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 09 2017, @08:52PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 09 2017, @08:52PM (#465246)

      I use it to play back my ripped DVD/blurays/flac. Still have the discs and a decent selection of on demand movies. Got rid of netflix not because I don't watch movies. But because I was not using it.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by edIII on Thursday February 09 2017, @09:21PM

      by edIII (791) on Thursday February 09 2017, @09:21PM (#465260)

      Let's be real clear here though. What these people are being arrested for is essentially cooking some people dinner. They bought the ingredients, used knowledge, and presented a cooked dinner that is highly popular.

      The fact remains, the Kodi boxes are perfectly legal. Torrents are perfectly legal. The underlying technology is perfectly legal. It's the ACTIONS that can possibly be performed that are illegal. Setting the software up and configuring some settings is not illegal.

      Kodi boxes don't perform software piracy, Kodi box users perform software piracy. We can't go after gun manufacturers, so likewise we shouldn't be able to go after Kodi box "technicians". After all, they're only doing what anyone can do in their own home in a few hours of setup at most.

      This is chilling to say the least. What's next? I'm arrested because I enabled a zero-knowledge data service on a phone? I'm arrested for setting up endpoint-to-endpoint encryption? I'm arrested for routing whole houses through TOR?

      Stupidity like this will lead to one of us finally being arrested for daring to install an adblocker.

      Fucking ridiculous.

      --
      Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
      • (Score: 5, Interesting) by damnbunni on Thursday February 09 2017, @09:40PM

        by damnbunni (704) on Thursday February 09 2017, @09:40PM (#465266) Journal

        These people are TELLING their customers the product is legal, though.

        My aunt fell for this. She bought a Kodi box (at a ridiculous markup) and was told 'the movies are included in the price'.

        She refuses to believe the whole thing is shady as fuck because 'well if it was illegal, they wouldn't be able to do it!'

        These people aren't selling 'Kodi boxes'. They're selling 'Free TV and movies and sports!' boxes. The fact that it uses Kodi isn't really relevant. They're already set up for illegal crap, they're sold with the intent of doing illegal crap, and the illegal crap they do is their MAIN SELLING POINT.

        It's the difference between selling an axe and selling 'Amazing tool opens any door, for free!' that happens to be an axe.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 10 2017, @09:21AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 10 2017, @09:21AM (#465441)

          She refuses to believe the whole thing is shady as fuck because 'well if it was illegal, they wouldn't be able to do it!'

          Does she happen to work for a certain Danish payment provider?

          "Your security is so primitive that anyone can break it. Look, it takes five seconds".
          "That attack is not possible".
          "How so? I just showed you it works"
          "Attacking out service is illegal".

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by NewNic on Thursday February 09 2017, @09:47PM

        by NewNic (6420) on Thursday February 09 2017, @09:47PM (#465267) Journal

        Different countries, different laws.

        Don't think that just because one of these "boxes" is legal in one country that it is legal in another.

        --
        lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
      • (Score: 3, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Thursday February 09 2017, @10:50PM

        by DeathMonkey (1380) on Thursday February 09 2017, @10:50PM (#465298) Journal

        Let's be real clear here though. What these people are being arrested for is essentially cooking some people dinner. They bought the ingredients, used knowledge, and presented a cooked dinner that is highly popular.
         
        The same could be said for selling meth.

        Not that I'm on the copyright cartels side or anything...

      • (Score: 5, Insightful) by bzipitidoo on Friday February 10 2017, @12:46AM

        by bzipitidoo (4388) on Friday February 10 2017, @12:46AM (#465330) Journal

        I totally agree. I wonder what can be done to change attitudes. Boycotts can be effective, but I don't see the people coming up with the will to do it, even for the most outrageous crap the movie theater pulls. Sad how much people put up with to be allowed to watch a movie at the theater like it's some kind of huge privilege. Can't bring your own food and are asked to pay outrageous prices for extremely unhealthy junk food at their exploitative concessions stands, can't make a crap recording of even 1 minute of a movie without being accused of theft and threatened with jail time, ticket prices are high and to add to the insult if you buy online beforehand, you get charged more for the convenience by the likes of Fandango and Ticket Bastard. It doesn't cost extra to buy a DVD online, why should buying a movie ticket online cost extra?

        I think part of the problem is that fans of entertainment, including moviegoers, are younger and more naive about their rights and powers. They too uncritically accept Big Media propaganda that equates copying with theft, and swallow the line that artists will starve without copyright and deserve better. Of course artists deserve better, but that line of arguing is a red herring. They're unaccustomed to the sly tricks the propagandists use to get them to overlook flaws in the reasoning, such as that the causal connection between copying and starving artists is weak. I suspect the same factor plays into the rampant age discrimination in IT. Employers want younger employees because they don't understand as well that they are manipulated into working more and accepting less.

        Still, I am hopeful that generational change will eventually end copyright.

        • (Score: 3, Touché) by nethead on Friday February 10 2017, @02:44AM

          by nethead (4970) <joe@nethead.com> on Friday February 10 2017, @02:44AM (#465379) Homepage

          Hey, at least it gets the kids out of the house for a few hours, that can be worth the ticket price right there.

          --
          How did my SN UID end up over 3 times my /. UID?
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 10 2017, @04:56AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 10 2017, @04:56AM (#465403)

          Wait it costs more to buy online?

          I think in my 45 years on this earth, and all of the times I have gone to the movies, I can count on one hand the times I was not able to get in at the time I wanted. Usually 1-2 months after release you pretty much can sit wherever you want. In no way whatsoever would I overpay to get a ticket for the theater. For a concert I can see that because, scalpers.

      • (Score: 2) by CoolHand on Friday February 10 2017, @01:53PM

        by CoolHand (438) on Friday February 10 2017, @01:53PM (#465462) Journal

        Kodi boxes don't perform software piracy, Kodi box users perform software piracy. We can't go after gun manufacturers, so likewise we shouldn't be able to go after Kodi box "technicians". After all, they're only doing what anyone can do in their own home in a few hours of setup at most.

        Is that true though? The users are just clicking a link and watching something someone else is essentially "broadcasting". I think it's those websites that are essentially illegally "rebroadcasting" copyrighted material that are really the issue.

        --
        Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams
  • (Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 10 2017, @02:21AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 10 2017, @02:21AM (#465363)

    you people are so bereft of morality that depriving my children of food and shelter is less important than your narcissistic desire to be entertained for free.

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by nethead on Friday February 10 2017, @02:43AM

      by nethead (4970) <joe@nethead.com> on Friday February 10 2017, @02:43AM (#465378) Homepage

      Maybe you should get a real day-job then. If you have kids you do not have the luxury to do as you wish to their neglect.

      --
      How did my SN UID end up over 3 times my /. UID?