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Further clampdown on TV 'dodgy boxes' as legal warnings issued

The legal notices form part of a broader targeted campaign in Ireland designed to disrupt and shut down piracy networks
The legal notices form part of a broader targeted campaign in Ireland designed to disrupt and shut down piracy networks

More than 20 "cease and desist" letters have been issued to people suspected of selling illegal TV streaming services, known as 'dodgy boxes'.

It is the third wave in a series of legal warnings that have been delivered in person, by post and by email to people across Ireland involved in providing illegal access to premium TV content, sometimes known as IPTV.

The cease-and-desist notices instruct those running selling modified smart TV devices to immediately stop all illegal streaming activity or risk facing the consequences, including criminal prosecution.

The warnings were issued to addresses within the counties of Dublin, Cork, Meath, Westmeath, Kilkenny, Clare, Limerick, Louth, Galway and Monaghan between 22 January and 2 February.

The legal notices form part of a broader targeted campaign in Ireland designed to disrupt and shut down piracy networks.

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Previous wave of warnings were issued in March and August, with the Federation Against Copyright Theft organisation saying that "more than 60 targets have been engaged with, resulting in the vast majority of illegal services being taken down".

The organisation said it would continue to "monitor channels used to advertise and sell illegal streams, modified Fire Sticks, and other devices to take action against illegal IPTV suppliers and operators".

"Operators of illegal IPTV services should be aware that not only are they committing an offence themselves, but they're also putting consumers at real risk of malware, data loss and identity theft," FACT said.

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Chief Operating Officer at FACT Eddy Levitan says the legal notices "have a very good effect".

"Over three quarters of the people who have been contacted in the past two waves that we did last year have stopped their activity," he said.

The objective of the documents was to " stop people getting involved in this" and to "give them a warning that if they carry on they could face prosecution", he said.

Mr Levitan said legal warnings also warn consumers about the risks associated with these services which can contain malware alongside exposing people to the potential for identity fraud.

He said the notices had "cut back" supply and that "people may find they've paid money for a service that doesn’t exist".

"They’re paying money to criminals anyway, so they’re putting themslves at risk by doing that," Mr Levitan said.