Latest FACT news and perspectives

This week the European Court of Justice ruled that selling pre-configured multimedia devices allowing access to copyright infringing content is illegal.

A man who sold illegal internet TV boxes allowing access to pay-for TV free of charge has received a suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £250,000.

Gavin Gray, 25, was sentenced after pleading guilty to four charges of fraud and offences under the Copyright Designs Patents Act 1988.

A ground-breaking operation that disrupts illegal websites providing access to films, TV, books, music and games has seen major success.

Detectives from Reactive and Organised Crime Branch have seized a range of TV and computer equipment, as well as a substantial amount of money following searches in North and West Belfast yesterday.

Two pubs in Merseyside and Liverpool have been convicted and ordered to pay £9,000 in costs and fines for showing Sky Sports illegally in their premises.

Three suppliers of pre-loaded IPTV boxes that facilitate mass piracy of Premier League football broadcasts have been ordered to pay a total of £267,000 by the Courts for infringing copyright.

Five people have been arrested today (Wed 8 February) in a crackdown on the sale and distribution of illegal TV set-top devices in the North West of England and Wales.

This week officers from PIPCU at City of London Police visited organisations found to be advertising on websites involved in digital piracy.

FACT welcomes a recent sentencing result which saw a man jailed for 12 months for music piracy following a PIPCU and PRS for Music investigation.

Following the first legal case involving illegal IPTV boxes a man has been jailed for four years. Terry O’Reilly was sentenced to four years in prison and a second supplier Will O’Leary pleaded guilty and received a two-year suspended sentence.

The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) arrested a 35 year old man in Maidenhead on suspicion of selling the movie Brotherhood online.