National Trading Standards said it would not hesitate to prosecute similar cases. “Similarly, using one of these illegally pre-configured devices to stream and watch TV, sports and films without a legitimate subscription or the right permissions, is also breaking the law.” Selling pre-configured streaming devices that allow access to content you normally would have to pay for is illegal. He said: “Some people tend to think this is a grey area. Kieron Sharp, the chief executive of Fact (formerly the Federation Against Copyright Theft), said the people behind the sales were not Robin Hood characters, but criminals. Industry experts say more than 1m Kodi boxes have been sold. Thompson, of Middlesbrough, admitted one count of selling and one count of advertising devices “designed, produced or adapted for the purpose of enabling or facilitating the circumvention of effective technological measures”.Īs he left court, Thompson said that, at the time, he did not believe what he did was illegal, adding: “I accept it, I take it on the chin, that’s it.” Paul Fleming, defending, said his client was a hard worker who had succeeded and failed in businesses over the years. He said he was suspending Thompson’s jail sentence but others in the future may not be so fortunate. “Those who lawfully have to pay £50 a month or more on Sky or BT subscriptions, I think, are done a disservice by people like you and those who buy these devices. Thompson claimed the law was unclear in media interviews before he changed his pleas to guilty.Īrmstrong said there could be no doubt now about the legality of the “fully loaded” boxes. He moved premises after the raid and advertised on Facebook, referring to “boxes for all ya channels”, “You get all the movies” and “Every film and box set ever made even ones at the cinema.” Trading standards officers made a test purchase from Thompson’s Dundas shopping centre outlet in 2015 and a raid was carried out. Devices with those add-ons installed at the point of sale have become known as fully or pre-loaded devices.” However, they allow a person to install add-ons, some of which allow unauthorised access to copyright and subscription material. He said: “Kodi boxes are not illegal per se. Photograph: Trading Standards/Press AssociationĬrowe said a piece of software known as Kodi led the devices to be known as Kodi boxes. The exterior of Brian Thompson’s shop in Middlesbrough, where he advertised that he sold set-top TV boxes that allowed people to watch Premier League matches and movies for free.
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