Seller of illegal TV devices sentenced for a second time

[Archiee]

A seller of illegal TV devices has been sentenced to 10 months imprisonment for re-offending after being prosecuted and sentenced for the same crime in 2016.
The man appeared at Norwich Crown Court on 4 May after pleading guilty to selling unauthorised decoders, after violating the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.

He had previously received a 12-month sentence suspended for two years at the Norwich Crown Court on 28 October 2016 after admitting to selling unauthorised decoders adapted to enable access to encrypted transmissions between December 2013 and April 2016.

In early 2017, investigators from The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) discovered that the offender was breaching the terms of his sentence.

A second investigation was launched by FACT and Norfolk Police and on 8th August last year. The man was re-arrested at his home in Norwich where he had installed multiple satellite dishes in his garden.

He was summoned to appear on 14 February and pleaded guilty on 28 March.

In sentencing the offender, the judge, HHJ Moore commented: “The gambling industry requires tight regulation, and legitimate organisations who subscribe to Sports Information Services (SIS) pay taxes and contribute to the Levy—your actions undermine the whole system.”

Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT, said: “This result is an excellent example of how serious issue illegal streaming is. Whether it’s a re-stream on social media, a piracy site, or using a device, box or stick connected to your TV, avoiding the official provider to access content is illegal.”

"FACT is leading the way in combating digital piracy and working with the betting industry to crack down on these types of offences and to hold those behind them accountable for their actions.”

Kevin Smith, general counsel of SIS, said “We are very pleased that Marston has once again been brought to justice and that a custodial sentence has been imposed. We are particularly gratified that the court recognised that [the offender’s] actions undermined the entire system of how betting is licensed and racing is funded, and that the sentence highlights that fact that the courts are prepared to treat copyright infringement as theft.”

"SIS has an obligation to its customers and rights holders alike to ensure that the value of content remains undiluted, and will not hesitate to prosecute offenders in the future.”