Experts have cautioned that sports enthusiasts who “jailbreak” an Amazon Firestick to illegally stream Premier League football matches or pay-per-view movies might face the risk of losing their homes if sued for copyright infringement.
Numerous individuals on Facebook are advertising Firestick login credentials that promise “unlimited live channels” for as low as £40. This is in contrast to paying approximately £100 per month for services like Sky, TNT sports channels, movies, and more.
The UK Film Council has projected annual losses to the film and television industry due to piracy at over £400 million.
Speaking to the DailyMail, Samuel O’Toole, an intellectual property attorney from Briffa, highlighted the broader impact of these actions. He emphasized that piracy breaches copyright laws and undermines the financial viability of content creation.
He further added,
“Copyrighted material is personal property. It was created and owned by someone and cannot be used without their permission.”
He further explained,
“In the event that the copyright holder decides to pursue legal action against a home streamer, they could end up in the Intellectual Property and Enterprise Court. There, one could be liable for £60,000 in expenses. If the case is lost, not only would the individual need to cover their own costs, but also those of the opposing side along with compensation.”
Before initiating legal proceedings, entities assess the financial standing of the infringer, which means businesses, such as pubs broadcasting content illegally, face considerable risk.
In extreme instances, legal action could jeopardize personal assets, including homes. O’Toole cautioned against entrusting sensitive data to illicit streaming services, which could result in identity theft and fraud, with stolen information potentially being traded on the dark web.