Another major attack has just taken place, leaving millions of people unable to enjoy Sky's free-to-air broadcasts.
Millions of households who watched events like the Premier League without a Sky subscription will be in for a shock. It has just been confirmed that a major crackdown has taken place across Europe, with one of the world's biggest pirate gangs finally dismantled.
The vast operation, which spanned countries including the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Bulgaria, saw 11 people arrested and a further 102 under police investigation. It is a significant victory for law enforcement and content providers as the gang behind the illegal streams was thought to be making more than €250m (£200m) a month.
In addition to shutting down illegal football and movie streams, the raids also seized computers and hundreds of devices that were running software that allowed access to illegal streams. These illegal streaming devices are often advertised through social media and online ads with the promise of access to endless hours of premium content without the usual high monthly fees.
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The operation was carried out by law enforcement agencies in cooperation with the Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA).
Commenting on the closure, Mark Mulready, co-chair of AAPA, said: “The scale of this multi-jurisdictional law enforcement action highlights the serious challenges our industry faces in combating such sophisticated international piracy networks.
“We are proud to work with our law enforcement partners, providing technical training and on-the-ground support to help them successfully counter the world’s largest pirate network.”
Matt Hibbert, director of Sky's counter-piracy group, added: “This is a powerful demonstration of our commitment, together with our partners, to dismantling pirate networks operating across borders and holding their leaders to account,” said Matt Hibbert, director of Sky's counter-piracy group.
“We will continue to support efforts to stop digital piracy and protect consumers from the risks associated with these illegal services.”
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While no consumers were arrested during the raids, the shutdown will mean that millions of people who subscribed to illegal streams will now be unable to receive them.
The new measures were introduced after officers from the City of London Police's Public Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) recently obtained a search warrant at an address in Wolverhampton.
During the raid, a 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of copyright infringement and money laundering after he was accused of selling illegal streaming packages to others for resale.
These packages included illegal access to Sky channels such as Sports, Entertainment and Cinema.
Sourse: www.mirror.co.uk
