Latest news with #PIPCU
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Brit fugitive behind £300k illegal football streaming operation is jailed for 5 years as police issue stark warning
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BRIT man who went on the run after being sentenced to five years behind bars for operating an illegal streaming service has finally be caught. And police have issued a stark warning to anyone offering the same services. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Service was used to stream Premier League games and more on the cheap Credit: Getty 2 Mark Brockley fled to Spain after being sentenced in May 2023 Credit: City of London Police Mark Brockley, 56, pocketed £300,000 for illegally streaming football games on the cheap, including Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches. He ran aFINITY IPTV for around five years, between 2014 and 2019, with premium sport, movies and TV for as little as £15 a month. Brockley was arrested and later charged with fraud and copyright offences at Liverpool Crown Court in June 2021. After being released on police bail, he failed to appear at multiple court hearings, and sentencing proceeded in his absence in May 2023. He fled the country with his dog before being traced to an apartment block in Spain. The illegal streaming fugitive was arrested in the city of Girona during a coordinated operation involving the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), National Crime Agency (NCA), Europol, and Interpol in August 2024. Brockley was released pending further investigation having appealed his extradition back to the UK, City of London Police said. But he failed to show up at multiple court hearings in Spain and was eventually identified as wanted by Spanish authorities. Brockley was finally arrested at Barcelona Airport while attempting to board a flight to the UK on June 20. He was held in custody at Heathrow Airport and will now commence his five-year sentence. Major Illegal Streaming Network Shut Down Across Europe "This case is a clear example of how PIPCU, together with our national and international partners, will relentlessly pursue those seeking to profit from intellectual property crime," said Detective Constable Geoff Holbrook from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit at City of London Police. "Thanks to the joint efforts of the NCA, Europol and Interpol, Brockley has finally been brought to justice, despite his attempts to evade accountability."
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
Brit fugitive behind £300k illegal football streaming operation is jailed for 5 years as police issue stark warning
A BRIT man who went on the run after being sentenced to five years behind bars for operating an illegal streaming service has finally be caught. And police have issued a stark warning to anyone offering the same services. 2 2 Mark Brockley, 56, pocketed £300,000 for illegally streaming football games on the cheap, including Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches. He ran aFINITY IPTV for around five years, between 2014 and 2019, with premium sport, movies and TV for as little as £15 a month. Brockley was arrested and later charged with fraud and copyright offences at Liverpool Crown Court in June 2021. After being released on police bail, he failed to appear at multiple court hearings, and sentencing proceeded in his absence in May 2023. He fled the country with his dog before being traced to an apartment block in Spain. The illegal streaming fugitive was arrested in the city of Girona during a coordinated operation involving the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), National Crime Agency (NCA), Europol, and Interpol in August 2024. Brockley was released pending further investigation having appealed his extradition back to the UK, City of London Police said. But he failed to show up at multiple court hearings in Spain and was eventually identified as wanted by Spanish authorities. Brockley was finally arrested at Barcelona Airport while attempting to board a flight to the UK on June 20. He was held in custody at Heathrow Airport and will now commence his five-year sentence. Major Illegal Streaming Network Shut Down Across Europe "This case is a clear example of how PIPCU, together with our national and international partners, will relentlessly pursue those seeking to profit from intellectual property crime," said Detective Constable Geoff Holbrook from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit at City of London Police. "Thanks to the joint efforts of the NCA, Europol and Interpol, Brockley has finally been brought to justice, despite his attempts to evade accountability." Warning over 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks Illegal streaming can be delivered by a number of devices by one of the most common are 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks, which means a third-party media server software has been installed on to it. The software most commonly used is called Kodi. It can grant users unrestricted access to new features and apps the normal version of the device wouldn't allow – but it is not legal to use in the UK. But it becomes illegal when a box is used to stream subscription channels for free. It is also illegal to buy or sell these modified devices which have become known as "fully-loaded" - a term that describes how the software has been altered to allow access to subscription-only channels. 'These devices are legal when used to watch legitimate, free to air, content,' the government said at the time. 'They become illegal once they are adapted to stream illicit content, for example TV programmes, films and subscription sports channels without paying the appropriate subscriptions.'
Scottish Sun
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Illegal streaming website showing Hollywood movies BEFORE they're released is closed down after Brit is arrested
Move follows a huge crackdown on illegal operations that have led to prison sentences DOWN STREAM Illegal streaming website showing Hollywood movies BEFORE they're released is closed down after Brit is arrested Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SITE used to distribute movies and TV shows illegally has been shut down in the latest piracy crackdown. Police arrested a 47-year-old man from Penmaenmawr, Wales, on suspicion of copyright offences. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Two unreleased movies were seized during the raid Credit: Alamy 2 Man accused of using a file sharing torrent website to distribute the movies illegally Credit: Alamy The individual is accused of distributing thousands of films, TV series and music on a file sharing torrent site without permission. Two recent Hollywood films that were leaked before their official release dates were a part of the content haul, officials said. His home was raided on April 29, where police seized two laptops and several hard drives for further examination, as well as a large quantity of discs. The man has since been released under investigation. "This operation serves as a warning to anyone thinking of uploading copyrighted material to pirate sites," said Detective Constable Jason Theobald, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police. "This is a crime that diverts funds away from the creative industries, money that not only supports artists, but thousands of technical and support staff working in this sector." The move follows a number of arrests to stamp out piracy in recent months. In January, Gary McNally, 55, was sentenced to two years and nine months for running a dodgy IPTV service known as Each Online. The service provided illegal access to Sky Entertainment, Sky Sports and Sky Movie channels, as well as content from international broadcasters, to thousands of people. "As technology continues to evolve, so do the threats to creative content," said Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association. "This decisive enforcement action reinforces the message that piracy is not a victimless crime– it damages creators, disrupts legitimate businesses, and endangers consumers. "We are proud to stand with PIPCU and our partners to protect creative industries and ensure audiences around the world can enjoy stories in a safe, legal, and secure way."
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Illegal streaming website showing Hollywood movies BEFORE they're released is closed down after Brit is arrested
A SITE used to distribute movies and TV shows illegally has been shut down in the latest piracy crackdown. Police arrested a 47-year-old man from Penmaenmawr, Wales, on suspicion of copyright offences. 2 The individual is accused of distributing thousands of films, TV series and music on a file sharing torrent site without permission. Two recent Hollywood films that were leaked before their official release dates were a part of the content haul, officials said. His home was raided on April 29, where police seized two laptops and several hard drives for further examination, as well as a large quantity of discs. The man has since been released under investigation. "This operation serves as a warning to anyone thinking of uploading copyrighted material to pirate sites," said Detective Constable Jason Theobald, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police. "This is a crime that diverts funds away from the creative industries, money that not only supports artists, but thousands of technical and support staff working in this sector." The move follows a number of arrests to stamp out piracy in recent months. In January, Gary McNally, 55, was sentenced to two years and nine months for running a dodgy IPTV service known as Each Online. The service provided illegal access to Sky Entertainment, Sky Sports and Sky Movie channels, as well as content from international broadcasters, to thousands of people. "As technology continues to evolve, so do the threats to creative content," said Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association. "This decisive enforcement action reinforces the message that piracy is not a victimless crime– it damages creators, disrupts legitimate businesses, and endangers consumers. "We are proud to stand with PIPCU and our partners to protect creative industries and ensure audiences around the world can enjoy stories in a safe, legal, and secure way." People streaming content illegally are at risk of fraud and other dangers when using dodgy TV devices. But that's not the only possible consequence. They can slow down your broadband connection and affect other gadgets around your home too. "Illegal streaming isn't just unsafe, it's actively harmful," said Liz Bales, CEO of the British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE), and The Industry Trust for IP. "Devices used for piracy are often infected with hidden malware, leading to crashing apps, severely disrupted performance, and compromised home networks. "This puts personal data and entire households at risk." Image credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Illegal streaming website showing Hollywood movies BEFORE they're released is closed down after Brit is arrested
A SITE used to distribute movies and TV shows illegally has been shut down in the latest piracy crackdown. Police arrested a 47-year-old man from 2 Two unreleased movies were seized during the raid Credit: Alamy 2 Man accused of using a file sharing torrent website to distribute the movies illegally Credit: Alamy The individual is accused of distributing thousands of films, TV series and music on a file sharing torrent site without permission. Two recent Hollywood films that were leaked before their official release dates were a part of the content haul, officials said. His home was raided on April 29, where police seized two laptops and several hard drives for further examination, as well as a large quantity of discs. The man has since been released under investigation. Read more about streaming "This operation serves as a warning to anyone thinking of uploading copyrighted material to pirate sites," said Detective Constable Jason Theobald, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police. "This is a crime that diverts funds away from the creative industries, money that not only supports artists, but thousands of technical and support staff working in this sector." The move follows a number of arrests to stamp out piracy in recent months. In January, Gary McNally, 55, was sentenced to two years and nine months for known as Each Online. Most read in Tech The service provided illegal access to Sky Entertainment, Sky Sports and Sky Movie channels, as well as content from international broadcasters, to thousands of people. "As technology continues to evolve, so do the threats to creative content," said Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association. "This decisive enforcement action reinforces the message that piracy is not a victimless crime– it damages creators, disrupts legitimate businesses, and endangers consumers. "We are proud to stand with PIPCU and our partners to protect creative industries and ensure audiences around the world can enjoy stories in a safe, legal, and secure way." RISKS FROM ILLEGAL STREAMING AND DOWNLOADS People streaming content illegally are at risk of fraud and other dangers when using dodgy TV devices. But that's not the only possible consequence. They can slow down your broadband connection and affect other gadgets around your home too. "Illegal streaming isn't just unsafe, it's actively harmful," said Liz Bales, CEO of the British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE), and The Industry Trust for IP. "Devices used for piracy are often infected with hidden malware, leading to crashing apps, severely disrupted performance, and compromised home networks. "This puts personal data and entire households at risk." Image credit: Getty
