UFC Wants Pirated Livestreams Knocked Down Faster
The UFC has promoted mixed martial arts fights for three decades. Today, however, the company is also fighting a battle of its own against online piracy. Unauthorized views of UFC events have taken off in recent years. The organization is trying to put a stop to these pirated livestreams, but that’s proving to be a drawn-out battle. Last week, General Counsel Riché McKnight shared UFC’s concerns with lawmakers during a House Judiciary...
‘Transnational’ Pirate IPTV Operation Targeted By Italian Law Enforcement
Pirate IPTV services are a major cause for concern among broadcasters globally. In Italy, illegal streaming has grown in relevance to become part of a nationwide conversation. Fueled by a national passion for top-tier football matches, viewable only by those who can afford a subscription, pirate IPTV services and other illegal streaming platforms found fertile ground in Italy. New law passed during the summer, which increased...
PornHub Sister Company Seeks Piracy Blocking Order & $21m Damages
The name ‘Aylo’ might not ring a bell with many people but it is one of the leading players in the adult entertainment industry. Formerly known as MindGeek, and Manwin before that, the company conquered the online adult market over the past decade by offering free porn to the masses. With help from user-uploaded videos, the company built massive databases of adult entertainment, much to the frustration of incumbent adult industry...
Judge Hits Pirate IPTV Defendant With $71.1k Contempt of Court Order
In July 2022, popular IPTV service provider SmoothStreams suddenly went offline in somewhat unusual circumstances. In the weeks that followed, evidence emerged that the Canada-based service had been targeted after Bell Media, Rogers Media, Disney, Paramount, Columbia, and Warner Bros. filed a copyright infringement complaint at Canada’s Federal Court. On July 14, 2022, after obtaining an injunction and an Anton Piller order, which...
Internet Archive: Digital Lending is Fair Use, Not Copyright Infringement
In 2020, publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, John Wiley and Penguin Random House sued the Internet Archive (IA) for copyright infringement, equating its ‘Open Library’ to a pirate site. IA’s library is a non-profit operation that scans physical books, which can then be lent out to patrons in an ebook format. Patrons can also borrow books that are scanned and digitized in-house, with technical restrictions that prevent copying. Staying...
Premier League Targets Dozens of Illegal Streaming Sites in U.S. Court
Early December the English Premier League announced a new broadcasting rights deal worth a staggering £6.7 billion (US$8.5 billion). Running for four seasons from the 2025-26 campaign, the deal will see broadcasters Sky and TNT take the live games and the BBC continue with its popular highlights package. Amazon, which has been licensing Premier League games since 2019, hoping to drive customers towards its Prime service, wasn’t...
