An individual who had been loading illicit streaming services on to so-called “Firesticks” has today been sentenced to three years and four months in prison. This includes a separate concurrent sentence of two years and three months for accessing and viewing the content he was supplying.
Jonathan Edge, 29, from Liverpool, pleaded guilty to three offences under the Fraud Act and was remanded in custody at the end of October. His sentence was handed down today at Liverpool Crown Court.
The prosecution was undertaken by the Premier League and was supported by a number of organisations, including FACT and Merseyside Police.
Relying on advertising through Facebook posts and word-of-mouth recommendations, Edge ran a service uploading illegal services on to Firestick devices in return for cash-in-hand payments at his home. His own use of the unauthorised service was treated as a distinct crime in itself. He ignored multiple warnings to stop this activity, which was referenced by the judge and treated as an aggravating factor towards the sentence passed.
The judge also recognised that legitimate subscribers are victims of these fraudulent operations and therefore their impact goes beyond that experienced by the broadcast industry.
Kevin Plumb, Premier League General Counsel, said: “The significant sentence handed down to the individual involved once again serves to highlight the severity of his actions and we thank Merseyside Police for their support throughout the case.
“We will continue to pursue legal action against those supplying unauthorised access to Premier League football, regardless of the scale or mode of operation. Ignoring warnings to stop only served to make the consequences worse for the individual.
“The selling of broadcast rights supports the Premier League’s industry-leading financial contribution to the whole football pyramid and we’re pleased that the courts have once again recognised the importance of safeguarding these rights with the outcome of this case. No matter the scale, we will continue to protect these rights by carrying out investigations and prosecuting illegal operators at every level.”
Kieron Sharp, CEO of FACT, added: “FACT are committed to investigating and acting against IP crime. Offenders should be aware that regardless of their level of operation or advertising methods, including word-of-mouth or platforms like Facebook, creating an illegal business for the purposes of selling stolen content to others will be investigated by the police, resulting in sentences such as the one given today.
“We thank Merseyside Police for their collaboration in this case. Piracy is a crime and we will continue to work with law enforcement to protect our members’ content and ensure that offenders face the consequences of their criminal actions.”
Detective Sergeant Steve Frame from Merseyside Police said: "Merseyside Police is committed to working in collaboration to investigate intellectual property theft and we welcome today’s sentence handed to Edge.
“Many people see no harm in illegally streaming TV services but they are wrong, and this outcome should serve as a further warning how seriously such copyright theft continues to be taken.”
The Premier League has one of the most comprehensive and sophisticated anti-piracy programmes in the world and proudly works with its broadcast partners and industry authorities to bring down illegal streams and investigate and prosecute those who supply illicit services and products.