DISH Sues Amazon and Walmart Seller of IPTV Boxes

• DISH has submitted a lawsuit against a person who was selling IPTV boxes on Amazon and Walmart.
• The broadcaster has been sending notices of infringement to the involved parties since 2017.
• They are now demanding up to $3,150,000 compensation for the losses they suffered.

To access pirate IPTV platforms and services, one would merely need a screen and an internet connection. However, for reasons of convenience and TV connectivity, many opt for pre-configured IPTV set-top boxes that work right away. Buyers don’t have to do anything other than to pay the seller. Moreover, they also get to enjoy after-sales support, at least in most cases. These devices are sold almost everywhere, including Walmart and Amazon, and this is exactly why the DISH network has decided to do something about it.

Source: Torrent Freak

The broadcasting giant has submitted a lawsuit on a Texas court, directed against a Texas resident named “Yahya Alghafir.” This man is accused of selling pre-configured IPTV boxes under the “Super IPTV,” “SAIPTV,” and “Super Arab IPTV” brands. These TV boxes enable their users to unlawfully access over 1,500 movies and TV channels, many of which belong to DISH with exclusive broadcasting rights. On Amazon, these devices are sold for $299, covering a two-year subscription. The boxes’ hardware is made by Shenzhen Street Cat Technology Co. and Shenzhen Jiemao Technology Co., so the two Chinese companies are also included in the lawsuit and accused of contributory copyright infringement.

DISH claims to have contacted all of the involved members of this fraudulent network, including the manufacturers of the devices, those who load the software, those who wrote the OS images, the operators of the online platforms that distribute the content, and even Walmart and Amazon. According to DISH, they have been sending notices to all of these parties since 2017, but absolutely nothing has changed - although some have responded and promised to cease operations or remove the products from their listings.

For this reason, DISH proceeded with submitting a lawsuit, requesting the Texas court to consider the approval of a hefty compensation. More specifically, they demand statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work, and they have provided a sample of 21 registered works for the judge to consider. If the request would be approved, Yahya Alghafir and the rest of the defendants may have to pay DISH up to $3,150,000. Of course, a request for a permanent injunction is also included, hoping to prevent the defendant from daring to sell these boxes again in the future.