UK Court Hands 2-Year Prison Sentence to ‘Pirate’ Seller of Preloaded Amazon Fire Sticks

• An individual from Halifax will serve two years in prison for the illicit distribution of pirate IPTV Amazon Fire sticks.
• Hundreds of customers purchased illegal subscriptions to copyrighted material belonging to streaming providers.
• The operation generated an estimated $135,000 in revenue over 18 months.

York Crown Court has handed a two-year sentence to Sunny Kanda, a 41-year-old from Wheatley, Halifax, for illegally selling Amazon Fire Sticks preloaded with access to pirated IPTV streams. 

His operation, which provided subscriptions to hundreds of customers, caused significant financial damage to legitimate streaming providers like Sky, BT Sport, Disney+, and Netflix.

Under U.K. law, unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material is a serious offense. Kanda’s charges spanned several legal categories, including violations of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and the Fraud Act 2006. 

Over 18 months, Kanda's operation generated an estimated £108,000 in revenue (~$135,000), representing substantial losses to legitimate service providers. 

The sentencing follows longstanding efforts by National Trading Standards and anti-piracy group FACT to crack down on such operations. Publicized findings reveal that FACT investigators infiltrated a private Facebook group with 3,900 members and purchased a pirate Fire Stick, ultimately leading to Kanda’s arrest.

Despite the prison sentence, Kanda is a relatively small player within the sprawling IPTV piracy market, which is characterized by layered operations and significant profits at the highest levels. 

Many resellers, including Kanda, rely on rebranding existing apps and using platforms such as OTTRUN to distribute pirated streams at a markup. Subscriptions are typically purchased in bulk from larger platforms, such as the IPTV Reseller Hub, leaving room for significant revenue. 

Kanda’s case presents a nuanced view of piracy resellers. Public records suggest that he maintained steady employment, engaged in community activities, and had no prior indications of significant criminal involvement. Nevertheless, his decision to operate as a pirate IPTV reseller carried significant risks, resulting in a stiff penalty.