The names and addresses of 300 users of illegal streaming services, often referred to as “dodgy boxes”, are to be handed over to Sky UK Ltd as part of its ongoing crackdown on piracy, the High Court has heard, reports Breaking News.
Judge Brian Cregan granted an order requiring Revolut Bank UAB to provide details of 304 subscribers along with information on 10 resellers, reports Breaking News.
Sky UK Ltd, together with Sky Ireland Ltd and Sky Subscribers Services Ltd, all part of the Sky Group, sought a “Norwich Pharmacal” order compelling the release of information to enable legal proceedings.
Counsel for Sky told the court the information obtained is expected to be used to pursue legal action against resellers and some individual users, though not all 304 subscribers could realistically be targeted, reports Breaking News.
Counsel for Revolut said the company took a neutral stance on the application and confirmed the data would be supplied in encrypted form within 28 days.
In an affidavit, investigator Damien Gilmore said the move followed a separate investigation into David Dunbar of Co Wexford, who operated an illegal IPTV service known as “IPTV is Easy”, reports Breaking News.
Dunbar had sold subscriptions for between €80 and €100 per year, with most payments made through his Revolut account.
However, much of the customer data linked to the service had been lost or destroyed, Gilmore said, reports Breaking News.
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Dunbar was previously fined €30,000 for contempt of court after breaching orders to retain data and agreed to a judgment of about €480,000 for copyright infringement.
His Revolut account was later closed, but records showed he received nearly €119,000 from resellers and over €72,000, along with £9,256, from end users over a period of around three and a half years, reports Breaking News.
The investigation identified 12 resellers and 304 customers linked to the service through Revolut transactions.
Proceedings have already been initiated against two of the resellers, the court heard, reports Breaking News.
As Sky could not independently verify the identities of those involved, it sought the information from Revolut, which stated it could only release such data under a court order.
Gilmore said intelligence indicated that at least five of Dunbar’s resellers are still actively selling the illegal service, reports Breaking News.
He noted that copyright infringement tends to increase at this time of year, driven largely by demand for Premier League matches.
Upcoming fixtures, along with Formula 1 events and major golf tournaments, are expected to further boost illegal streaming activity, reports Breaking News.
Gilmore said Sky aims to act swiftly against the five active resellers before the football season concludes, as this would be more effective than taking action afterward.
He added that piracy affects not only Sky but also other broadcasters and stakeholders, including Premier Sports, GAA+, LOITV and Clubber TV, reports Breaking News.
The judge said the disclosed information may only be used to initiate legal proceedings against those suspected of infringement and noted Sky’s assurance that it would not be used for any other purpose, reports Breaking News.
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