Last year, the video rental and streaming company Redbox shut down its service and filed for bankruptcy.

The service, owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (now CSS Entertainment), was running hundreds of millions in losses per year and no longer saw a path to profitability.

The decision also had a direct impact on its ongoing litigation, including some piracy-related lawsuits. Through its subsidiary Screen Media Ventures, it previously sued several Internet providers, including RCN. That case was administratively closed as a result of the bankruptcy.

The demise of one company can provide opportunities for others and in this case, the intellectual property rights of Redbox’s parent company appear to be of particular interest. These can be used to sue ISPs and similar targets, with the potential for massive damages awards in the event of a successful outcome.

$100m For ‘Right to Sue’

This opportunity was recognized by a company named Grove Street Partners LLC, who are bidding at least $100 million for the “IP Litigation Assets” of CSS Entertainment.

On Wednesday, the bankruptcy estate’s trustee, George L. Miller, requested approval from the court to finalize and execute a deal reached with the primary creditor, a requirement for the sale to continue.

“The IP Litigation Assets consist of the Estates’ rights to pursue litigation for copyright infringement against various third parties related to, among other claims, violations of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) for media titles owned or controlled by the Estates,” he explained.

The proposed agreement also includes details on how the proceeds of the sale would be shared. As the primary secured creditor, HPS Investment Partners would receive the bulk, paid in installments, and the remainder would go to the estate and could be used to pay other creditors.

Details aside, this case highlights how intellectual property claims, specifically the right to sue under the DMCA, can be packaged and sold as a valuable asset to generate funds in a major corporate bankruptcy.

As far as we know, this may be unique and if the deal goes through, more ISP piracy lawsuits could be on the horizon. And after paying at least $100 million, the stakes would be significant.

Experienced Piracy Litigators

The company bidding for the “IP Litigation Assets” is no stranger either. While Grove Street Partners isn’t widely known, the company has been involved in ISP piracy lawsuits for years.

In 2023, before Redbox went bankrupt, Grove Street announced a partnership with American Films and its subsidiary FACTERRA, to “provide data monitoring and record evidence” supporting copyright infringement cases.

The same press release also mentioned ongoing litigation against the Internet providers RCN Telecom Services, WideOpenWest, and Grande Communications. The Grande lawsuit has since been settled .

Supreme Court Challenge

While the proposed deal clearly suggests that the ‘right to sue’ can be valuable, there’s a pending Supreme Court case that could have a significant impact on the ability to exploit this opportunity.

Internet provider Cox, which was previously ordered by a Virginia jury to pay $1 billion in damages after being held contributorily liable for pirating subscribers, is challenging this verdict at the Supreme Court .

The ISP, which received high-profile support from the U.S. Solicitor General , argues that ISPs should not be held liable for failing to take action against repeat infringers based on third-party complaints.

If the Supreme Court agrees, it could mean that these types of lawsuits aren’t as lucrative going forward.

Funding & Finances

The legal paperwork does not mention the source of the funding for the rights sale. Speaking with The Verge , Grove Street’s CEO said that the necessary funds are in place, without mentioning any financial partners by name.

“We have lined up litigation funding to help us handle the legal fees, digital evidence showing the piracy events, the DMCA notices, and the annual payments due to the Trustee,” Murphy noted.

Money hasn’t always been readily available to Grove Street. Court records reveal that Jamie Warren, the former CFO of both American Films and Grove Street Funding (which is linked to Grove Street Partners), sued both companies over unpaid salary.

In an amended complaint, dated March 5, 2025, Warren alleged that the defendants repeatedly breached employment contracts and fraudulently induced her to continue working with false promises of payment.

The legal paperwork mentions that the companies were working to secure funding from a venture capital firm to support a case involving Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. This would presumably result in an infusion of cash.

In May, 2025, a Texas federal court entered a final judgment in favor of the former employee, granting her $525,000 , plus attorneys fees and costs. According to court filings, the case remains ongoing as the judgment has not been paid.

All in all, the situation presents a complex convergence of legal and financial variables. With a $100 million deal awaiting bankruptcy court approval, a landmark Supreme Court case set to define the rules for ISP liability, and an outstanding court judgment against the prospective buyer, the path forward seems anything but straight.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Most countries have an underlying piracy problem and there’s no shortage of rightsholders prepared to remind governments that work still needs to be done.

The prospect of one day being removed from the USTR’s piracy and counterfeiting Watch List may provide additional incentive for those hoping to improve trade relations with the United States.

Thailand was placed on the Priority Watch List in 2007 and it was another decade before the situation improved enough to move Thailand to the regular Watch List. An operation reported this week seems likely to further nudge Thailand in the right direction.

Operation Dev Shutdown

In statements issued a few days apart, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment and Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) announced a multi-location enforcement operation targeting INWIPTV, an IPTV service that according to ACE has been running for the past 13 years.

Thailand-based True Visions holds the local rights to broadcast Premier League matches, and since both are members of ACE, the group’s involvement is not unexpected.

“Operating since 2012, INWIPTV (formerly FWIPTV) charged users a subscription fee of 300 Thai baht (approximately US$10) per month for access to a broad range of content, including from the U.S., international, and Thai markets as well as live sports and adult content,” ACE notes.

“The DSI obtained search warrants and conducted coordinated search operations across six locations in Nonthaburi and Bangkok on September 21. Twelve employees were brought in for questioning as part of the search operations.”

Images from the raids published by Thai authorities feature racks and other pieces of equipment that suggest an organized business.

True Visions / MPA Complaint Triggered Investigation

The DSI reports that four of the six locations mentioned by ACE were searched pursuant to a search warrant from the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court, in connection with Premier League content illegally obtained from True Visions’ broadcasts.

A joint True Visions/MPA complaint and subsequent investigation confirmed that INWIPTV was illegally intercepting, decoding, and rebroadcasting Premier League matches and Warner Bros. movies. An estimated 100,000 INWIPTV members were charged fees starting at around 300 Thai baht (~US$10.00) per month, Thai authorities say.

In addition to computers, True Visions decoder boxes, satellite dishes, laptop computers, hard drives, and numerous mobile phones, ACE reports the seizure of “large-scale unauthorized signal transmission equipment, 46 servers, electronic storage devices, financial documents and records, and multiple IPTV devices.”

Pirate IPTV and Much More Besides

Thai authorities report that access to the INWIPTV website generated over 200 million baht (~US$6.17 million) in annual revenue. However, a much larger figure in excess of 1 billion baht (~US$30.9 million) is attributed to INWIPTV’s direct link to a major online gambling network.

“They established a multi-tiered membership system, offering daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly subscriptions for television programs, movies, pornography, and, crucially, online gambling banners, including baccarat, sic bo, roulette, and sports betting,” the DSI reports.

“This systematic approach lured viewers into gambling. Authorities seized additional evidence from the online gambling website’s admin team, including host computers, mobile phones, and mule accounts, which were used to circulate large sums of money to conceal their origins.”

The investigation also revealed ties to the businesses ‘Thep IPTV’ and ‘FW Esports,’ which operated from the same main location.

A Successful Operation, Welcomed By All

ACE and True Visions seem satisfied with the outcome.

“We commend the DSI for their decisive action in Operation DEV Shutdown against a key IPTV target in Thailand,” said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the MPA. “The case is testament to the power of our strategic partnerships with local law enforcement and our local ACE member True Visions.”

Sompan Charumilinda, Executive Vice Chairman of True Visions, thanked the DSI and ACE for their work.

“By shutting down piracy services, we not only protect Thai youth and communities from harm but also support the country’s creative economy. These results are possible thanks to the strong cooperation we have received from both Thai authorities and global organizations like ACE,” he said.

Trade Implications for Thailand

For Thailand, an operation of this type is likely to improve its standing with the United States, and it appears that good news may soon appear on the horizon. Thailand was placed on the Priority Watch List (PWL) in 2007 where it remained until 2017. Since then Thailand has stayed on the regular Watch List (WL) but now feels progress is being made.

“Thailand expects to be removed from the WL this year, the [USTR] report states that last year Thailand made progress in developing its intellectual property protection and enforcement system, including stricter law enforcement, which has clearly resulted in satisfaction for rights owners,” a DSI statement reads.

While that’s good news for Thailand, small but important differences in the statements issued by ACE and DSI hark back to February 2021 when FWIPTV (as INWIPTV was then known) was ‘shut down’ following raids in five locations.

This time around, ACE went with “shut down” in line with the name of the operation. According to the DSI, Operation ‘DEV Shutdown’ was “launched to disrupt the INWIPTV copyright-infringing website network.”

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

For those interested in how policy takes shape under pressure from a constantly adapting piracy landscape, submissions to the USTR for its annual review of ‘notorious markets’ often carry clues on the performance of current strategies.

Beyond the work of the USTR, some issues raised in submissions aren’t easily fixed but can develop into topics for wider discussion. A joint submission by broadcasting group beIN and Miramax, a company jointly owned by beIN and Paramount Global, recommends the addition of four relatively low-profile pirate entities to the 2025 list.

While the USTR could justify their inclusion based on the submission, another component that we’ll address in a moment seems likely to spark wider discussion. As beIN informs the USTR, underlying problems in some regions render enforcement all but impossible, and since other anti-piracy measures are no longer considered effective, options are limited.

Persistent Threats

In common with previous submissions, beIN begins by calling out countries where IPTV piracy continues to cause significant issues.

From the tone of the report, some Iraqi internet service providers have now fully embraced the opportunity to add value to sales of basic bandwidth by bundling “virtually unlimited” access to pirated content. Calling out MyTV+, Vodu, Veo, Cinemana, Cee, and Cinema Box by name, beIN stresses that these aren’t independent services; they’re an integral part of the ISPs’ subscription broadband packages.

“The biggest offenders are Newroz Telecom / Fast Group and Earthlink Group, with additional facilitation by Shams Telecom, Halasat and HRiNS. These ISPs are not merely tolerating piracy but are directly responsible for operating and monetizing it,” beIN explains.

In the north of the country, services including Chaloos, Mediastar and Forever TV remain persistent threats, with the latter presumably able to turn a profit on subscriptions as low as $38 per year. Family Box also receives a prominent mention as a particularly troublesome supplier; around a third of pirated beIN streams display the Family Box logo in the corner.

More generally, beIN says there’s a problem that persists across much of the MENA region, regardless of borders. Piracy has become so entrenched it’s conducted out in the open; from sales of Spider-branded devices in Jordan to purchases of Chinese pirate devices from UAE’s Dragon Mart, the effect of legal action is temporary at best.

The Enforcement/Evasion Cycle

The USTR’s focus in 2025 is piracy of live sports broadcasts and on that front, beIN and Miramax offered information that they believe the USTR will find useful.

In our view, while much attention is often directed to individual websites offering pirate content, this is not always the best way to seek to tackle the problem. The website landscape can be very fluid, with new domains and websites continuously being created, often in order to evade enforcement. Regrettably, the structure and nature of the internet means this is relatively easy, and the task of enforcing against individual websites extremely challenging.

While beIN refrains from using the term ‘site-blocking’, the appearance of new domains and the continuous spawning of new websites are classic signs of blocking countermeasures.

During the summer, DAZN obtained perhaps the most aggressive blocking injunction ever issued by a court, with rules of engagement heavily in favor of DAZN. It’s likely the campaign caused disruption but exactly how much is hard to say. DAZN blocked over 500 domains in a matter of weeks, but the job still wasn’t finished.

Time to Refocus

The alternative proposed by beIN isn’t new, and as an enforcement measure, it faces its own set of challenges.

“Companies known as ‘hosting providers’ or ‘dedicated server providers’ are central to the piracy problem because they make it possible for pirates to operate online. Without such hosting, pirates would be unable to distribute their content. beIN, like many owners of live sports broadcast content, routinely monitors the internet to identify these providers by using publicly available databases managed by regional internet authorities,” beIN reports.

Once beIN identifies a platform offering its pirated channels illegally, the company contacts the platform’s hosting provider, sends a takedown notice, and those respectful of the DMCA usually process them. The problem for beIN is that among pirate sites there has been a “huge shift” towards so-called ‘off-shore’ or ‘bulletproof’ hosting providers that do little or nothing in response to takedown notices.

For background, the image below supplied by beIN shows a typical live sports streaming piracy setup.

In this example, beIN says the Piracy-as-a-Service platforms in the center (red box) supplied MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL content to over 270 pirate websites, together generating 3.2 billion visits between July 2024 and June 2025.

These PaaS providers are the unseen enablers, offering bad actors the technical infrastructure to deliver infringing content. Their services, which may include the direct supply of video streams, the use of ‘off-shore’ hosting to evade abuse complaints, and the constant acquisition of new domain names to bypass site-blocking, are designed to ensure a high degree of anonymity and secrecy. This makes it difficult to enforce against and to trace those responsible for tens of thousands of infringements.

The PaaS platforms identified by beIN (ePlayer, Aliez, WG/OBStream, and Cast/Hoca) are not as widely known as the branded user-facing sites they serve, but their contribution to the piracy ecosystem is significant in this case. The problem for beIN is the unresponsive nature of the off-shore/bulletproof providers that host the PaaS platforms (beIN’s examples below), in particular their tendency to disregard DMCA notices.

Criticism of RIPE NCC

In a ‘normal’ environment, beIN would be able to identify the hosting provider by its ASN and IP addresses which are allocated by an organization called RIPE ( RIPE NCC in Europe).

If the hosting provider was Amazon, for example, beIN could obtain the specific contact information held by RIPE NCC (most likely after obtaining a court order), put pressure on Amazon, and then the PaaS platform would probably get taken down. In extreme circumstances beIN might even sue, or at least that would be an option.

“Poor governance and a non-existent know your customer”

In the case of off-shore/bulletproof providers, beIN says that identifying the owner of an ASN using information held by RIPE NCC can prove impossible.

“RIPE NCC requests its members or those who use RIPE NCC resources to provide accurate contact information. Some rogue providers abuse this system by posting false or incomplete information. This prevents rights owners and authorities from reaching them or successfully sending takedown notices,” beIN explains.

Inaccurate information can include fake or unmonitored email addresses, false business addresses or shared locations with many tenants. This ultimately makes it impossible for beIN to identify the owners of off-shore hosting companies. If it’s unable to do that, targeting the operators of the PaaS platforms becomes impossible too.

“In other words, the very concept of an offshore or bulletproof hosting provider seeks to rely on the ease by which this registration system can be misused through the provision of false or incomplete information,” the company adds.

beIN’s Lee Kent and Andrew Willatt from the Premier League aired their grievances at the RIPE 89 event last year. In a full presentation ( pdf ) they laid out how RIPE NCC and its community could help.

The official minutes are inconclusive, but in light of beIN’s submission to the USTR, it’s likely that the parties still don’t see eye to eye.

The beIN and Miramax submission to the USTR is available here (pdf)

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Every year, dozens of pirate site operators and their affiliates are arrested worldwide. Aside from highlighting the damage to rightsholders and the risks involved, little context is provided.

The case against the Argentinian operator of Al Ángulo TV provides a welcome exception, with a rather unique plot twist.

With assistance from top-tier Spanish football league LaLiga, on August 20 Argentinian police arrested Alejo Warles . The authorities accused the 25-year-old, known online as Shishi, of running a piracy operation that had amassed millions of monthly users.

In this case, it wasn’t just the authorities and rightsholders who commented publicly. Friends and family came out in support of Shishi, launching a fundraiser for his defense.

Shishi’s attorney described the case as a “David versus Goliath” battle, a multinational company pitted against a young man with no prior criminal record, who lives with his grandparents.

Sharing a Cell with Murderers

While most pirate site operators prefer to stay off the radar following an arrest, Alejo Warles enjoys the opposite. He previously ran a YouTube channel and has been very active on social media recently, so this doesn’t really come as a surprise.

An excellent article by local news outlet El Entre Ríos , which deserves full credit, provides more detail about what happened after Warles’ arrest. Key commentary is provided by Warles himself.

Police started hammering on Warles’ door around 07:45 on the morning of August 20. After he was arrested and handcuffed, a lawyer from LaLiga bought Warles’ some yogurt before he was sent to the police station in Paraná.

The next day, Warles was transferred to the San Isidro Investigations headquarters with a police escort. “It was like they were bringing Pablo Escobar,” Warles notes, referring to the infamous drug lord.

The pirate site operator ended up in a cell with people accused of crimes that didn’t take place behind a keyboard. While that certainly made an impression, it wasn’t all that bad.

“I was there for a day and a half with murderers, thieves… But they were very kind to me. To cheer me up, they would say, ‘Another guy like you came in and got out after three hours’,” Warles said.

Bailed Out and Back Online

After three days in custody, on Friday August 22 Warles was released on bail. The criminal investigation remains ongoing, and it’s likely that Warles will still have to defend himself in court. But for now, he’s glad to have regained his freedom.

Interestingly, Warles was also free to pick up the X account of Al Ángulo TV , which had amassed thousands of new followers after his arrest.

“I’m not going to reoffend with the websites, but I will continue working on social media,” he told El Entre Ríos. “When the police arrested me, I had 123,000 followers, and today that number has reached more than 138,000.”

Seized Cryptocurrency

While Warles has control over his social media accounts, the authorities still have his cell phone, computer, and other seized hardware, which are likely to be used as evidence.

When LaLiga announced the crackdown in August , it mentioned that virtual wallets and cryptocurrencies were also seized. These were presumably used to collect advertising revenue for Al Ángulo TV.

Warles does not deny that he owned a crypto wallet. However, he notes that this was not a massive haul.

“They accused me of profiteering but couldn’t prove anything. There were $263 in my virtual wallet,” Warles notes, adding that cryptocurrency wallets are pretty common for today’s youth.

Tech Unicorn Hires Piracy ‘GOAT’

While being arrested for alleged crimes is a scary prospect for many, Warles appears to be holding up well. In fact, the exposure helped to land him a new job at professional esports team 9z Globant .

The team is the result of a partnership between 9z Team and Argentinian tech unicorn Globant. Somewhat ironically, Globant previously worked with LaLiga to monitor the live-streaming user experience.

Warles welcomed himself to 9z Globant via the team’s social media account, referring to himself as an idol, genius, and GOAT.

Lucía Quinteros, the main social media manager at the esports team, informed Entre Ríos that after considering their new hire’s history, they believe that he can add value to the team.

“We hired Alejo, not the person who set up that project (Al Ángulo TV). Of course, we evaluated what happened, but we believe that, from now on, Alejo can pursue a different career path,” Quinteros said.

According to Warles himself, he was hired because he’s the best. Like many of his comments, this bravado should not be taken too seriously, but nevertheless sits in stark contrast to the typical pirate site operator facing criminal charges.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Italy generates more headlines concerning boots-on-the-ground anti-piracy operations than any other country in Europe.

If we consider volume of events, no other member state comes anywhere close. If the claimed number of subscribers of every service allegedly shut down in the last decade were added together, the whole of Europe combined couldn’t mount a credible challenge.

Yet, the larger the subscriber numbers, the more difficult it becomes to find a credible scenario that not only accommodates them, but also acknowledges the credibility of the rest of the data. The same pattern has continued for the past decade, but thanks to a new announcement reporting on a large network targeted recently, the fog begins to clear.

The New ‘Maxi Operation’

Italian law enforcement doesn’t always coordinate their announcements, which can lead to more than one press release on the same topic. In this case an announcement from the State Police ( 1 ) is less colorful than the variant published by the Postal Police ( 2 ) .

“As a result of a complex investigation coordinated by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Catania, the State Police carried out an arrest warrant issued by the Judge of Preliminary Investigation (GIP) of the Tribunale del Capoluogo of Catania against eight people, some of whom are residents abroad, who are being investigated for crimes of organized crime aimed at the illicit diffusion of pay-TV broadcasts, unauthorized access to a computer system and computer fraud,” the statement reads.

Those targeted are alleged members of an organized criminal group, responsible for the illegal distribution of live TV and on-demand content owned by Sky, DAZN, Mediaset, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Police state that the estimated monthly profits generated by the illegal IPTV operation run to “millions of euros” and in an unusual move, go on to name the ‘pirate’ brands involved.

“These are the acronyms of illegal IPTV, some of which recall the names of well-known legal platforms: ‘NOWTV’, ‘UNITY’, ‘PLAYTV’, ‘PLATINUM’, ‘M&S’, ‘ENJOY’, ‘MOMY’, ‘HERMES’, ‘LUCKYSTREAMING’, ‘SKYNET’ and ‘GOLDRAKE’.”

The Alleged Roles of Those Arrested

Investigators say the people targeted are unusually important.

Based on the evidence collected, they are considered “a kind of top management for the Italian illegal streaming market, which not only promoted and directed the criminal association (for which the investigation is proceeding), but also decided on subscription costs, service suspension, and distribution methods for devices, coordinating individual operators across the national territory.”

In a short video posted to YouTube, the following diagram appears for just a couple of seconds; it appears to show eight people, details of their roles, and presumably a graphical representation of their network.

“To carry out their illicit activity, the organization exploited a complex technical infrastructure that involved the use of numerous rented servers hosted by foreign hosting companies, whose management was entrusted to associates with specific IT expertise.”

Hoping to evade investigators, the arrested suspects reportedly relied on encrypted messengers and false identities, which were used to register telephone lines, obtain credit cards, TV subscriptions and server rentals.

Police then provide a short recap on the money allegedly being made, followed by a very large, attention-grabbing number.

In this context and when specifically highlighted, the 900,000 subscriber suggestion is obviously ambiguous. However, when repeated elsewhere as part of a conversation, more often than not it’s presented as fact, despite making no real sense.

For how long the service was monitored isn’t revealed but €10 per month multiplied by the implied number of subscribers is €9 million in monthly revenue. If we take the hint and assume that represents 70% of the local IPTV piracy market, Italy must have in the region of 1.285 million pirate subscribers overall, together spending €12.85 million per month or €154.2 million per year.

Given the number reported, did all of those subscribers have their access blocked following a single operation in June 2024? That seems unlikely.

The latest statement concerning the most recent operation does not claim that the pirate IPTV network allegedly controlled by the suspects was blocked or shut down.

Quite a few publications report that the network was dismantled, but none provide a source for the claim. As the example below shows, further distortion isn’t out of the question either.

Whether Sky has additional details isn’t clear but its report states that the operation dismantled the “summit of the illegal market” and confirmed that the suspects are being held under house arrest.

Big Operations, Big Numbers

So, if the big numbers are even close to being authentic, 70% of the entire illegal market may already be in peril. That should be a cause for celebration but in general terms, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Stefano Azzi, CEO of Dazn Italia, thanked the authorities for their hard work but said the volume of piracy involved “only covers a fraction of the total.” On the other hand, he welcomed the possibility that there are “900,000 users potentially affected and potentially identifiable,” a nod towards suing them , perhaps?

Overall, it’s almost impossible to make full sense of even the most basic facts released to the public, let alone have an opinion on progress. Looking back on earlier reports quickly descends into yet more déjà vu but does help to explain why many aspects of various operations tend to look the same.

This Sounds Familiar

The latest announcement revealed that the arrested suspects are residents of Catania, Syracuse, Rome, Brescia, and unnamed foreign countries. Police say they were identified through analysis of seized devices and “financial flows” reviewed as part of an operation dating back to November 2022.

A notable feature of that 2022 operation is that it also targeted locations in Catania, Syracuse, Rome, and Brescia, just like the recent one. The size of the piracy network targeted looks familiar too, as does its claimed share of the pirate market.

At an awards ceremony in October 2023, the Audiovisual Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAPA) recognized Italy’s anti-piracy work under the banner Operation Gotha, which had targeted the ‘900K user’ network the previous year.

“The commendation for Italy for Operation Gotha involved 70 searches and seizures in 23 provinces of our country, dismantling a huge pirate IPTV network serving over 900k users, with profits estimated at 10 million euros,” the announcement reads.

Then in December 2023, an operation with a very similar appearance took place in familiar circumstances, targeting people similarly intent on avoiding the authorities, using the exact same techniques reported in the latest operation.

“In order to evade investigations, the suspects made use of encrypted messaging applications, fictitious identities and false documents; the latter were also used for the registration of telephone accounts, credit cards, television subscriptions and server rental,” the Postal Police reported.

Operation Gotha and Operation Gotha 2

We can only assume that whoever named Operation Gotha and Operation Gotha 2 was fully aware of an infamous operation with an identical name. It, too, had similar aims of dealing a decisive blow to aspects of organized crime in Italy and by some accounts it very nearly did.

The fact that its IPTV namesake in 2022 (Operation Gotha), was a continuation of Operation Blackout a year earlier, is certainly noteworthy. To protect content owned by Sky, DAZN, Mediaset, and Netflix, that operation targeted a pyramid-based network controlling an estimated 80 percent of the illegal IPTV flow into Italy, generating around 15 million euros per month . The numbers are slightly different, the similarities are difficult to ignore.

Xtream Codes – 700,000 Users

Keep going and the pirate IPTV trail leads all the way back to the 2019 shutdown of Xtream Codes and other IPTV platforms. That reportedly led to the disruption of 700,000 users.

Soon after dozens of articles appeared in Italian media claiming to identify the alleged kingpin behind the majority of pirate IPTV supply in Italy. He was arrested a year later but what happened after that is unclear.

A number of reports claim that the Camorra became interested in his business , presumably due to the money allegedly on offer. Other reports suggest that he may have become a victim of extortion. As for the collapse of pirate IPTV in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, it recovered remarkably quickly.

Overall, it would be tempting to conclude that for the last six years the same network has been targeted again and again, which would go some way to explaining the similarities between operations. Ultimately, the only certainty is the complexity of the enforcement landscape in Italy.

The judicial authorities, law enforcement agencies, and all major rightsholders appear to be doing whatever they can in what can only be described as an extremely challenging environment; damage inflicted seems temporary and due to the profit involved, always likely to be repaired.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

The American copyright industry generates billions of dollars in annual revenue and its content is generally viewed as one of the country’s primary exports.

Whether they produce movies, music, software, or content for the publishing sector, U.S. companies are among the market leaders.

U.S. companies also have a clear presence in China, and with more than a billion potential consumers, it’s a massive market. This offers enormous potential, but there are threats as well, including various forms of piracy.

A few days ago, several of these threats were highlighted by the International Intellectual Property Alliance ( IIPA ), which counts copyright groups including the MPA, RIAA, and ESA among its members. The IIPA shared its concerns with the US Trade Representative as part of the annual review of China’s World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations.

U.S. Rightsholders Link MagisTV to China

The IIPA has repeatedly called out enforcement challenges and trade barriers in China, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that it’s highly critical of the country’s efforts to protect American rightsholders. On that front there are some new and notable developments.

Published earlier this week, the IIPA’s submission highlights MagisTV as a Chinese problem. The video piracy service recently rebranded as Flujo TV and is not popular in China at all. That’s no surprise, as it specifically targets Latin American users.

Thus far, most of the enforcement against (re)sellers of the pirate service has taken place in Latin America , but IIPA links the operation directly to China.

That MagisTV and its successor have links to China has been mentioned in previous policy submissions. In addition, the Chinese company ‘Shenzhen Huiyi Electronics’ applied for the MagisTV trademark at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, without success .

Piracy as an Export Service

According to the submission, a growing number of Chinese-origin piracy operations exclusively market their sites or services to audiences outside the country. This “export-only” scheme applies to MagisTV and others including LokLok and GIMY.

“[T]he exporting of pirated content, piracy services, and piracy devices (PDs) from China to foreign markets is a growing and equally troubling global trend,” it reads.

IIPA notes that these apps and services often geo-block access from within China to evade local enforcement. This suggests a deliberate and sophisticated strategy to operate globally without drawing attention from Chinese law enforcement.

There are civil and criminal enforcement actions in the country. The National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC), for example, has booked results against various piracy operations. However, IIPA notes that it doesn’t appear to take referrals for operations that have no local presence, effectively creating a loophole that should be closed.

“This allows China-based operations to evade enforcement action by simply geo-blocking their services from access within China or serving a different set of content to users accessing these services from within China,” IIPA writes.

More Problems & Solutions

The IIPA recognizes that China has made progress recently but new problems continue to emerge. For example, where gaming pirates previously cracked games, they now often reskin the software to make it look different which presumably makes enforcement more difficult.

“Instead of traditional methods that involve technical cracking of game software for complete duplication and distribution, game piracy in China is increasingly characterized by reskinning the original games with non-substantial revisions,” IIPA’s submission reads.

To tackle the reskinning problem, China should amend its copyright law by classifying video games as a distinct type of copyrightable work, IIPA argues. This would make it easier to establish infringement when a game’s overall elements are copied.

The IIPA also lists a series of suggestions to address the “export-only” piracy apps and services. This includes expanding the enforcement scope to Chinese-run services operating outside the country, as well as a general improvement of cross-border enforcement cooperation to tackle problems more effectively.

All in all, the submission highlights an ongoing game of cat-and-mouse where pirates exploit technology and enforcement loopholes to stay a step ahead of those who try to shut them down.

—

A copy of IIPA’s filing regarding China’s WTO compliance, submitted to the U.S. Trade Representative, is available here (pdf) .

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Dramacool and several associated sites suddenly shut down last November , with the operators mentioning copyright pressure as a prime reason.

The move disappointed millions of Asian drama and anime pirates but the nature of Dramacool’s legal troubles was initially unknown.

A few months later, legal paperwork eventually revealed that a U.S. court order, obtained by Wavve Americas (wA), the owner of legal streaming platform Kocowa, was the likely culprit. That lawsuit also aims to bring Dramacool’s operators to justice.

Dramacool Remnants Remain

Kocowa identified domain operators in Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, the Netherlands, and New Jersey, but none of their targets appeared in court to formally answer the complaint.

Meanwhile, some Dramacool domains remain operational. While these may include copycat sites unrelated to the original operation, the ongoing copyright infringement is a serious problem for Kocowa.

Last week, parent company wA explained these ongoing challenges in a motion for default judgment filed at a federal court in Arizona,

“[I]n some cases, Defendants have even moved and/or expanded their infringement operations to new domains. For example, wA discovered that Defendant Mirani further operates dramacool.sr, and offers infringing content via this domain name,” the company explained.

“Similarly, Defendant Bakht further operates dramacooltv.cz and dramacooli.cz and offers infringing content via these domain names, with access to dramacool.com.vc and Fdramacooli.cz, as of the filing of this Motion, being redirected to dramacooltv.cz.”

Kocowa Wants All Dramacool Domains

Since none of the defendants appeared in court, Kocowa requested a default judgment. That could open the door to millions of dollars in statutory damages, but the company isn’t interested in money.

Instead, wA seeks a default judgment and permanent injunction, to restrain the defendants from engaging in any infringing conduct going forward while taking ownership of all infringing domains.

These include the domains associated with the original Dramacool operation, as well as copycats and other new domains that have since been launched.

Targeting Future Domains

Taking ownership of these domain names only solves part of the problem, as the defendants could simply register new ones. Therefore, the proposed order also prohibits them from registering or owning any domains that support future infringing activity.

Since the defendants may not comply, wA wants the order to apply to “all those persons or entities who receive actual notice of the order”. This means that U.S.-based domain registrars like Namecheap and GoDaddy would be legally required to enforce the order.

The court has yet to grant the default judgment and permanent injunction. If it does, wA will effectively take over the existing Dramacool domains, provided that the current domain name registrars cooperate, and will have the authority to take over any new domains that pop up in the future.

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A copy of Wavve Americas’ motion for a default judgment and a permanent injunction is available here (pdf) . A copy of the proposed order can be found here (pdf)

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

When studying law in Taiwan back in 2019, Kevin Lin learned that law firms were doing good business in the anti-piracy space. After he graduated, he aimed to do the same.

Around June 2022, reports emerged that Lin was a suspect in what was described locally as a “copyright cockroach” case.

After teaming up with a like-minded former classmate who happened to be a lawyer, Lin founded Truth Intellectual Property Consulting Co, a company that would soon begin to sue hundreds of people for illegally downloading and sharing movies on BitTorrent. The scenario is not especially unusual but the background certainly is.

Download, Seed, Sue

In order to gather evidence to support the upcoming campaign, Truth Intellectual Property signed a monitoring deal with a technology company. Through that deal, Lin was introduced to lawyer Zheng Yuanxiang, who reportedly drafted the complaints against the alleged downloaders and negotiated the settlements. The difference in this case was the nature of the content the users downloaded.

After obtaining the exclusive rights to several movies from Vie Vision Pictures Co. and Applause Entertainment Ltd, men working for Lin uploaded the movies to BitTorrent and waited for pirates to take the bait.

Unwitting pirates had their IP addresses captured and once identified were targeted with demands for cash settlements. The rightsholders agreed to a 20% cut, with Lin’s operation taking the remaining 80%, part of which covered the costs with the remainder taken as profit.

The End of the Settlement Dream

After launching the operation in August 2021, Lin’s company filed 937 lawsuits for copyright infringement. Just 25 cases resulted in a cash settlement, netting a grand total equivalent to less than US$30,000.

The authorities had received a number of complaints, but it appears that the litigation strategy had also overwhelmed several police departments and prosecutors’ offices.

Lin and the other men were indicted, with the Taipei District Court eventually finding them guilty of engaging in “corporate-style litigation” in violation of the Lawyers Act among other offenses.

Lin received a 10-month prison sentence, commutable to a fine equivalent to US$10,000. His co-defendants, including a company registration manager, two employees, and a legal officer, were also sentenced to prison terms of 6 to 8 months, commutable to fines.

For the crime of handling litigation cases with intent to profit, lawyer Zheng Yuanxiang was also sentenced to prison. All defendants – and the prosecution – appealed the District Court’s verdict.

Taiwan High Court

At the Taiwan High Court, the prosecution argued that Kevin Lin (also known as Lin Yijie), along with the other defendants, had engaged in a scheme in which they intended to profit from copyright infringement.

The prosecution said that the defendants used their legal connections to lure internet users into downloading pirated content with the intent of pressurizing them into settling their dispute.

The defense countered with claims that the prosecution’s case was based on flawed evidence that failed to establish intent. Kevin Lin was simply a mediator between various parties involved in the scheme, the defense argued, noting that he had not directly profited from it. And besides, in similar cases defendants had been found not guilty, the defense added.

All Defendants Acquitted

On September 25, 2025, the Taiwan High Court acquitted all defendants, reversing the verdict of the lower court. The Court agreed that the prosecution’s evidence was insufficient to link the men to the scheme and criticized the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for an investigation with inconsistent findings.

The Court found that the exclusive licensing deal between Truth Intellectual Property and Vie Vision and Applause Entertainment, wasn’t illegal but did stray close to the line. The Court found no evidence of collusion; legal action was conducted in the Truth company’s name so it wasn’t litigating on behalf of others.

The Court further found that the conditions for offenses under Article 157 of the Criminal Code and Article 127 of the Lawyers Act, which forbids unlicensed lawyers conducting litigation for profit, had not been met. The Court also noted that those who collected the evidence for use in legal action could not be held responsible for the actions of others.

Allegations that the defendants profited from the scheme reportedly failed to establish intent. Rather than a reliance on evidence, the Court found that the prosecution relied on speculation and ultimately failed to meet the burden of proof.

Lin Comments on Social Media

In a post on social media, Lin celebrated the win but avoided any comment on the details. An elusive detail concerns the claim that the defendants uploaded the same content they later sued people for downloading.

The Taipei Times is very specific about how the content was obtained and then seeded. Yet, far as we know, that aspect wasn’t a key part of the case.

Regardless, Lin seems very pleased with the outcome.

After three and a half years of highly publicized judicial proceedings, the High Court panel has officially ruled not guilty!

During this long and agonizing period, I have endured baseless accusations and unjust treatment. This just verdict from the High Court is not only a belated vindication, but also proves that my actions were always legal and not in the best light as accused.

From my student days at Taipei Physical Education Institute and National Chung Cheng University, to my later studies at the Graduate School of Law at National Chengchi University and the Executive MBA program at the College of Management at National Taiwan University, I have always believed in education, law, and justice.

This ruling also demonstrates the power of the judiciary to restore order.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

Authorities in the United States have seized many domain names over the years, including those associated with online piracy.

In some cases, domains are seized as part of a criminal prosecution. Megaupload.com , for example, was taken down thirteen years ago and remains under the control of the United States which renews its registration annually.

Not all seizures are treated equally, however. In some cases, domains are simply let back into the system after they expire, allowing anyone with an interest in the brand to pick them up relatively cheaply. Domain squatters pick up some, while others simply end up in the hands of ‘pirates’ once again.

U.S. Seized Streameast Domains

Earlier in September, there was much ado about the takedown of what was reportedly the largest pirate sports streaming network. The Streameast operation did not involve the U.S. government, nor was it targeted at the original Streameast, but it was a massive victory nonetheless.

The original Streameast has not been spared legal trouble either. In fact, its domain names were seized by U.S. authorities last year . While the site swiftly moved to new domains, the old ones were pointing to a seizure banner.

“It is unlawful to reproduce or distribute copyrighted material including sporting events, television shows, movies, music, software, or games without authorization. Individuals who do so risk criminal prosecution under Title 18,” the banner explained.

The seizures were backed up by a warrant obtained in August 2024 at a Louisiana federal court, targeting Thestreameast.to, Streameast.io, Streameast.live, Streameast.xyz, Thestreameast.io, and Thestreameast.xyz.

Streameast ‘Reclaims’ Streameast.xyz

Today, some of these seized domains continue to point to the original warning banner but it appears that the U.S. authorities no longer control all of them.

While researching both old and newly-seized Streameast domains recently, we noticed that Streameast.xyz expired earlier this year. Apparently, it was not renewed by those who controlled it, as the seizure banner was gone.

Instead, the domain appeared to have been reclaimed by the original Streameast team. While it is not listed as an official mirror site, Streameast.xyz points to content from the original site once again. And indeed, the original Streameast team confirms that the domain is theirs.

It is not clear why the U.S. authorities lost control of the domain or whether it was intentional. Other domain names covered by the same seizure warrant were renewed recently, including Streameast.io.

The Streameast team might view this as a significant symbolic victory. After all, they effectively reclaimed a federally seized domain name without having to mount a legal challenge.

In the grander scheme, one domain name is not going to make a massive difference. However, the U.S. government went through the trouble to obtain a federal warrant, so it’s ironic to see it controlled by pirates once again.

From: TF , for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.