Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) can confirm that four people, aged 51, 50, 46 and 45, have been reported to the Procurator Fiscal Paisley in respect of the illegal sale and supply of IPTV services. It is alleged that the four, all from Renfrew, provided illegal access to broadcasts supplied by Skyand other content providers via IPTV/ streaming services.
After a joint operation with Police Scotland and Sky, the accused have been reported for various offences against the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Trade Marks Act 1994, offences which are punishable by a fine and/ or imprisonment upon conviction: more charges are to follow.
Fiona Richardson, Chief Officer of TSS, commented:
“I would like to remind consumers that in paying for or subscribing to illicit IPTV and other streaming services, they are contributing to the profits of wider Organised Criminal Groups which are a blight on our communities. The profits made by these criminals not only fund other illegal activities, but with a reduced income to the various broadcasterscould put jobs at risk. Combating illicit trade is a key part of the Scottish Government’s Serious and Organised Crimes strategy and TSS will actively engage and work with our partners in the public and private sectors to tackle OCG’s and, where appropriate, report them to the Procurator Fiscal.”
Matt Hibbert, Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, added:
“This operation targeted a group who were believed to be a major source of illegal streams. In taking this action Trading Standards Scotland has not only blocked access to stolen Sky content, it has helped protect consumers from some of the very real risks of accessing movies, TV shows and live sports in this way. In fact, recent research from cyber security experts Webroot found that of 50 illegal streaming sites analysed, every single one contained some form of malicious content, including scams, malware and explicit pop-ups.”
Find out more about illegal streaming services at https://www.tsscot.co.uk/priority-areas/iptv-illicit-streaming/