NOW's stance on illegal streaming and piracy
On Monday 13 March 2017, the High Court handed down a judgment that compels the UK’s major internet service providers, including NOW Broadband, to block certain servers from illegally streaming Premier League matches.
Together with Sky, NOW supports the Premier League action, as the hosts of these streams are making money illegally through criminal activity.
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Illegal streaming is an issue that must be tackled in the interest of our members, our business, our people and everyone working in sport and the creative industries.
In the UK, 2.8 million people are employed in the creative economy – that’s 1 in 11 jobs. This includes everyone from sound engineers to the camera operators that bring us the sport, TV and films we love. Piracy puts jobs in the creative economy at risk.
Illegal streaming and piracy of content is a serious matter that needs to be addressed. Piracy is the illegal copying, sharing and distribution of content and includes watching content without a valid subscription. This could be through card sharing, login sharing, online streaming (using devices like Kodi boxes) or illegal downloads (from torrent sites like Pirate Bay).
The supply of illegal streams is a criminal offence and these suppliers don’t provide security, guarantees, or filters. Users don’t know what is on these boxes; they won’t get their money back when they fail; and they can't protect their children from adult content or inappropriate adverts. In addition, by watching unauthorised streams, consumers can expose themselves to malware and other security risks.