Fifteen retail outlets across the country have been targeted as part of an enforcement operation to clamp down on them enabling access to illegal streaming services via so-called 'dodgy boxes'.
As part of the operation, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) - working together with Sky TV - delivered legal notices to shops and resellers in nine counties (Cavan, Donegal, Kerry, Kilkenny, Laois, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Wexford).
Eleven of the visits were conducted by FACT investigators, with four more carried out by legal representatives from Sky.
According to FACT, the targeted outlets were found to be either selling subscriptions to illegal streaming services, supplying devices configured to access them, or referring customers to resellers via phone numbers or advertising materials.
Following the operation last month, all 15 stores were given a deadline to stop the activities or face further action, with FACT saying that so far "the vast majority have responded to the legal notices and have agreed to cease their illegal activities".
This is the first time such enforcement has focused directly on retail outlets, a move that FACT said, "recognises that shops are a crucial gateway for consumers being drawn into illegal streaming and that disrupting activity at street level is key to protecting the public".
FACT is one of the main IP protection organisations in Ireland and the UK and works with broadcasters, rights holders and law enforcement to disrupt piracy networks.
Commenting on the latest operation, FACT Chairman Kieron Sharp said it "shows that we are actively targeting every link in the illegal streaming supply chain".
He added: "When shop owners sell illegal streaming devices, subscriptions or act as referral points to providers, they are supporting criminal organisations and generating criminal profits."
The operation targeting retailers follows a series of successful crackdowns on illegal streaming services in Ireland.
FACT said that since March 2023 almost 70 illegal services across Ireland have closed on foot of action by it and its partners.
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'Disruptive exercise'
The Chairperson of FACT said the notices delivered to the shops are not legally binding, but they do lay out the possible consequences for the business if they do not cease the illegal activity.
Mr Sharp said shops could face criminal or civil action going forward "if they continue their criminality", adding the activity is "is not a victimless crime".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said: "We don't have any legal powers. This is just the serving of a notice to warn people.
"We know what they're doing. They're alerted to the fact we know what they're doing and what the consequences will be if they don't stop."
He said that in the past FACT has found customer databases of people offering illegal services and they send notices to those customers to explain to them what they are doing is wrong and they need to stop.
"We don't want to criminalise everybody," he said, adding: "We certainly don't want to criminalise customers".
"We want to turn customers into legal paying customers and that's our focus here as well," he said.
"This is a disruptive exercise," he added.
FACT, he said, "don't want to go after people criminally or civilly".
"We want to actually stop the problem. So, it's a preventative exercise as well," he added.
When using a 'dodgy box’, Mr Sharp said people need to need to understand "like many frauds, it's not a victimless crime".
"The money that's paid for, say, the sports rights by television companies has to be recouped in some way, shape or form, so all of those companies can produce this content," he said.
"These are activities that the creative industries give to us and the things that we enjoy doing, and if you don't pay for them, they won't exist," he added.
