The joint media industry position paper outlines practical recommendations for implementing the European Media Freedom Act’s principles on audience measurement. Together, ACT, EBU and egta strongly encourage the Commission to develop detailed guidelines clarifying how these provisions should be applied consistently across Europe.
Full position available here.
The Ulož.to portal was once a huge repository of any kind of content. It offered the latest movies and TV series for download, but also music, literature and video games. But in December 2023, Ulož.to ceased its original activity and transformed into a cloud storage site where files cannot be searched. This ended a great era of internet piracy in the Czech Republic. However, neither the end of the popular portal nor the advent of streaming services completely eradicated the illegal distribution of content. Creators must continue to protect their copyrights. How? That’s what attorney Klára Hrabáková answered in an interview with CNN Prima NEWS.
Not so long ago, internet piracy was rampant. Downloading a video game, music, movie or TV series using torrents or portals like Ulož.to was the order of the day. But in recent years, piracy seems to have disappeared.
The end of Upload.to, which turned off public searches between stored files, contributed to its decline. It later morphed into a classic cloud storage for private data sharing. Another important role was played by the emergence of streaming platforms such as Spotify, Netflix, Max, Disney+ and others.
Thousands of movies and series or songs by musical artists are available through them. For just a few hundred crowns, users can set up a subscription and happily consume entertainment. Yet even today, copyright is still something to keep in mind.
According to Hrabáková, pirate platforms make money from the distribution of content, but their money is irretrievably drained away and not invested in further film or television production. “It is important to remember that piracy does not serve to distribute culture to the masses, but instead less culture is created,” Hrabáková says.
“Copyright also protects the jobs of all the people involved in the creation of series. Whether they are actors, writers, technicians or people who subsequently produce the series. It’s a whole range of professions and copyright protects their livelihoods as well,”
explains why it is necessary to protect content creators.
How can creators defend themselves against pirates? That’s not the only question attorney Klara Hrabakova answers in an interview with CNN Prima NEWS. In the following minutes, she explains why authors should enforce their rights to protect their content, how piracy affects creators, and whether classic television will survive in the coming years or whether it will fall into oblivion due to streaming platforms.
Watch the full interview with Klára Hrabáková, attorney at law and member of the board of ALAI Czech Republic, here.
Source: cnn.iprima.cz
Petr Hatlapatka from Media Club talks about the key trends in video advertising and explains how Media Club responds to client demand for quality video advertising.
Quality of content, more accurate targeting and a safe advertising environment are key factors that play an increasing role in the decision to buy video advertising. One of the main recent trends is the growing interest in advertising on smart TV (CTV), where viewers skip ads less and pay more attention to them.
Media Club is responding to these changes not only by expanding its premium video inventory but also by introducing its own DMP platform that enables advanced targeting of registered users. In addition, Media Club is also dedicated to the development of HbbTV, bringing new opportunities for regional targeting and interactive formats.
In this interview, Petr Hatlapatka, Sales Director of Media Club’s online division, talks about how video ad buying strategies are changing and the impact of the growing popularity of CTV.
Premium video advertising is increasingly in demand today, not only because of the quality of the content but also because of brand safety. How do you reflect the new trends in video consumption, and how does your Premium Pack adapt to the changing needs of advertisers?
The Premium Pack has already been part of our offering, but we have made some significant changes. For the last two to three years, we have worked hard to expand our inventory, including representing other video services. We have started working with Canal+, and more recently, Sweet.tv has joined our portfolio. Our goal is to expand the reach of video advertising, and we also want to underpin the changes in video consumption, where linear viewership is shifting towards non-linear viewership, especially among younger audiences. At the same time, we aim to ensure that advertising is shown in an appropriate and safe context and on large screens with high-quality imagery. This is why we avoid user-generated content, for example. The Premium Pack reflects all of this.
Different formats have different benefits. How do your packs differ, and what determines which format clients choose?
When it comes to video advertising, we also offer the Add Up pack, which includes video placements across all the sites we represent within Media Club and Impression Media – including Prima’s content sites and video services. This pack has the highest reach. The Premium Pack is only focused on video advertising for long-form video, which is the format that clients find most attractive.
Add Up is more affordable, while the Premium Pack focuses on higher-quality content with higher viewer attention. Research and viewer behaviour show that people skip ads less on smart TVs and have higher completion rates. At the same time, they are guaranteed 100% viewability and brand safety. The most exclusive pack is the CTV pack, which is aimed exclusively at smart TVs. This pack contains long-form content on smart TVs. It is the most sought-after by clients because it delivers quality and, therefore, is also the most expensive. CPT is twice as high for CTV as for traditional content, yet it is in demand and has been one of the fastest-growing over the past year.
In general, however, we are seeing total video reach – it doesn’t matter whether the viewer is watching linear or catch-up TV on Prima+ two days later. What matters is that they consume our video content.
CPT is twice as high for CTV as for traditional content, yet it is in demand and has been one of the fastest-growing over the past year.
Petr Hatlapatka
You have already mentioned that the viewing of TV content or video content is moving from linear broadcast to non-linear platforms. Do you see an opportunity for advertisers in this trend? What are the main advantages of advertising on smart TV versus other channels?
We see that premium advertising is now increasingly sought after by clients, especially due to the targeting options. For example, our new partner, Sweet.tv, shows 70% of impressions on smart TVs. This type of advertising is not skipped; viewers are spending more time on it, and this matches the needs of clients. Advertisers also take into account that smart TVs are shared devices and more viewers are sitting in front of the screens, so one impression reaches more viewers.
How much of your total video portfolio is made up of CTV advertising?
A rough estimate is about a third of the Premium Pack. The Premium Pack alone makes up about 70-75% of the impressions in the overall portfolio, with the rest coming from formats across all sites.
CTV’s advertising rates are the highest in the video advertising price list. How do they change over time?
CTV shows the largest year-on-year price increase, with the average net CPT price in programmatic sales exceeding EUR 10 in our region. In Western Europe, it is above EUR 15, and our prices are starting to approach these levels.
You describe that you are trying to expand your inventory both through your own services and by integrating external services. What impact is this having on Media Club’s overall video inventory?
Last year, we generated 24% more impressions as a result of this compared to the previous year, which is a significant increase. The biggest growth we saw was in smart TV apps, where inventory grew by 83%. In addition, content magazines, such as CNN Prima NEWS, also increased by 60%, and IPTV operators grew significantly as well, with an increase of up to 85%. These leapfrog changes are the result of the gradual addition of more operators.
We anticipate that the number of IPTV operators where we will be able to include video advertising will expand again this year. We are currently working with five operators. We see that 60% to 70% of IPTV impressions are happening on smart TVs.
And how did that reflect in video ad sales overall last year? How much did the market grow?
We sell about 1.2 billion impressions a year, and we are growing 10-20% in impressions sold.
Last year, we created 24% more impressions compared to the previous year, which is a significant increase. Our biggest growth was in smart TV apps, where inventory grew by 83%.
Petr Hatlapatka
Online GRP, called eGRP, has been part of Media Club’s TV advertising and video advertising sales for a long time. Will the broader video inventory increase its overall share of campaigns sold?
In the first few months of this year, eGRP makes up about 20-25% of total online inventory, which is a significant increase from previous years. The winter season contributes to higher consumption as people spend more time at home. Year-round, we expect to stabilise at 10-15%.
However, it is interesting to look at the affinity of eGRP and traditional GRP. It shows that the younger target group of 15-35 years old shows an improvement in affinity of up to 134%. The younger the target group, the better the affinity for eGRP. But this is also true for the broader 15-50 age group, where there is still a 56% affinity improvement for online. This trend proves that eGRP is particularly effective for younger audiences. As inventory grows, this quality will continue to improve.
Yes, we have already implemented our DMP and consider it a significant step forward compared to previous external solutions. It is linked to CPEX, and we have comprehensive data from the entire market. Data-wise, we have moved on significantly and can target not only classic banner formats but also video advertising with even greater accuracy and efficiency. We can also better analyse audience behaviour and tailor advertising messages to specific target groups. The data is then processed in the advanced Adpicker tool, which uses machine learning to create sophisticated user segmentation.
How exactly does audience targeting and segmentation work?
Although we are limited in some areas by our move away from third-party cookies, we do have access to TV broadcast data. Based on socio-demographic data from ATO-Nielsen measurements, we are able to shift targeted content from TV to online platforms. For example, when women watch specific shows on TV, we can use this data to predict the online user. This is also aided by our ability to target eGRP campaigns precisely to the desired target group. While campaign booking is targeted at the 18-69 group, clients also specify their primary target group when booking. This data then feeds into the DMP, and the system calculates how many GRPs to deliver and therefore tailor to the preferred target group.
Based on socio-demographic data from ATO-Nielsen measurements, we are able to shift targeted content from TV to online platforms.
Petr Hatlapatka
CTV is one of the most talked-about trends of our time, which we have already mentioned. HbbTV, which has represented CTV advertising so far, seems to be in its shadow.
It’s more accurate to say that HbbTV is already included in the CTV landscape. And it is not the case that development has stopped in HbbTV. On the contrary. Display advertising in HbbTV can be targeted to selected segments, and defined target groups can be reached on Prima channels using the red button. Historically, we have only used targeting on channels, times, selected shows or perhaps the client’s TV spots. The data we have on TV channels, particularly data on what individual devices watch, at what times and so on, combined with our knowledge of the sociodemographics of our TV channels, allows us to model audiences that replicate the sales target groups known from TV buying.
We also see that over the last year, clients have started to make more use of non-standard formats in HbbTV, such as multi-button, which can be used for polls and contests, and switch-in strip.
Over the last year, the traffic structure of the Prima Nákupy app has also changed dramatically, with 80% of the traffic now being organic. Viewers have learned to use the flyers and discount coupons on TV, and I consider last year a milestone in this respect. We knew the turnaround would happen. That’s why we have prepared for this in the past and have continuously worked on the product and the Prima Nákupy brand. Now we will intensify these efforts.
What are you preparing?
For AdSimple.cz, the automated HbbTV buying platform, we will launch an updated version in March, which will be enriched with campaign targeting functionality for all 76 districts. Until now, it was only possible to target regions. The targeting of districts resulted from market feedback, especially from local agencies and smaller clients. With district targeting, we will go deeper into the regions.
Source: mediaguru.cz
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has successfully shut down video hosting site Gamovideo in Spain.
Gamovideo operated as a video host, allowing users to upload, store, and share illegal content. Primarily serving as a video hosting platform for pirate streaming websites, Gamovideo facilitated illegal distribution and streaming. The platform paid uploaders based on downloads and views, further incentivizing the unauthorized distribution of popular content.
Platforms such as Gamovideo act as the backbone of the piracy ecosystem, providing storage and streaming for illegal copies while forming key partnerships with pirate linking sites and incentivizing uploaders. Hosting services like Gamovideo directly pay these uploaders based on downloads and views, fueling the supply of unauthorized content.
The platform ran 125 back-end subdomains supporting its operation and attracted more than 3 million monthly users worldwide in 2024. Multiple streaming linking sites relied on the service.
Following an investigation, ACE recently approached the Barcelona-based operator, resulting in a shutdown of the service, including the transfer of pirate domains to ACE and other substantial commitments.
“Thanks ACE’s unmatched technical capabilities and expansive global network, a notorious player in the Spanish-language video hosting ecosystem can no longer harm the creative economy,”
said Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the Motion Picture Association (MPA). “We look forward to continuing our joint fight to protect intellectual property and bring criminal operators to justice.”
All Gamovideo domains have been transferred to ACE and are now redirected to ACE’s Watch Legally site.
Source: broadbandtvnews.com
The operator of a platform responsible for supplying illegal streams to pirate services around the world, has been convicted and sentenced to 11 months in prison and ordered to pay more than US$90,000 in penalties and damages.
The ruling in a Lebanese court followed a joint criminal complaint by the Premier League, Sky and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE).
The defendant was found guilty of five criminal charges including various intellectual property and cybercrime-related offences.
Kevin Plumb, Premier League General Counsel, said: “The case further demonstrates the Premier League’s commitment to protecting its intellectual property around the world. This is not only important to us and our broadcast partners, but it is essential for the future health of English football and the protection of our fans.”
Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky said the partnership with the Premier League, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment and international law enforcement was vital in fighting piracy.
“The Lebanese judicial authorities in Lebanon, in collaboration with the Lebanese Cyber Crime Bureau successfully pursued the prosecution of this individual, who has been involved in the egregious theft of content for many years. We will continue to take steps to shut down organised criminal networks who are intent on stealing our content and whose activities expose consumers to real risks of malware, identity theft and data loss.”
The ruling also ordered that the websites seized be shut down, the defendant’s devices be cleared of all data, and the deletion of all accounts used for client and customer communication.
Source: broadbandtvnews.com
The Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) has entered into a new settlement agreement with the services Přehraj.to and Datoid. The operators of these services have agreed to work with ACPV members to prevent the illegal sharing of protected works.
The Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) has reached an agreement with the operators of Přehraj.to and Datoid to protect the copyrights of its members, TV Nova and FTV Prima. The operators have agreed to take technical measures against illegal sharing of copyrighted works. The agreement also includes payment of legal costs.
AKTV is working with the operators on effective content filtering. The operators will maintain an up-to-date list of protected works and improve filtering mechanisms. This cooperation is part of AKTV’s strategy to minimise illegal sharing of programmes.
Klára Brachtlová, President of AKTV, welcomed the agreement as another success in the fight against piracy. AKTV has long focused on legal protection of copyright and awareness-raising activities. It operates an information website on copyright, where interested parties can find explanations of terms and answers to frequently asked questions.
AKTV also publishes articles on new studies on copyright infringement in the European Union. The agreement with Přehraj.to and Datoid is another step towards minimising illegal content sharing. AKTV strives to inform the public about the negative impact of piracy on the cultural and creative industries. The service providers will actively cooperate to update the lists of protected works.
Source: mediaguru.cz
In the last few days and weeks, the most successful series were those that viewers already know well. On the other hand, the weekend viewership of the Český lev fell slightly.
At the end of February, the second season of the popular crime series Hrdina arrived on the streaming platform prima+. The now common practice meant the premiere on TV screens a few days later, but this tactic works relatively well for Prima.
Although the viewership of the first episode of the second series (just under 600 thousand viewers) dropped slightly compared to the average for the first series (700 thousand viewers), the series still attracted considerable interest among TV Prima’s male and female viewers and continues to hold its own with the rest of the TV audience.
The second series even rose slightly in the ratings compared to the first one. While the first series of the unpretentious crime series has only 48 percent on CSFD, the second one is currently shining at 54 percent after two episodes. The series has also changed directors. Instead of Jan Haluza (Co ste hasiči, Deníček moderního fotra), Jaroslav Fuit (Jedna rodina, Jedině Tereza) is behind the camera this time. Let’s see if the next episodes will increase in terms of ratings and quality, or if the interest will gradually fade away.
Source: TV Nova
TV Nova has seen even better results with its series Specialisté and Případy mimořádné Marty. Marta with Tatiana Dykova manages to stay just above the 900,000 viewers mark, which is obviously a good result for the creators and TV. Against the series Případy mimořádné Marty stands the rerun of Filip Renč’s crime drama Hlava medúzy, which aroused a lot of interest when it premiered a few years ago and which has apparently not diminished even after all these years. There were 877,000 viewers. So far, Nova is leading.
Specialisté, another of the big spring comebacks, is doing even better. The eleventh season of TV Nova’s popular Czech crime series is not enjoying a very positive rating (it has 36 percent on CSFD), but the viewership is still enormous. The new case of the popular group of investigators attracted 1.06 million viewers to the screens last week, making it one of the most watched shows of the whole week.
Oh, and let’s throw in an interesting fact about the Český lev. As expected, the majority of the awards were shared by Vlny and Metoda Markovič: Hojer, but even such popular Czech works did not help to push the ratings to a new record. On the contrary, compared to last year (almost 700,000 viewers), this year’s broadcast enjoyed only 647,000 viewers.
While this is still within the norm for the last few years, the question is whether this Czech counterweight to the Oscars should generate slightly higher numbers. Perhaps it can only be a consolation that this year’s show is rated 62 percent on CSFD, while last year viewers and viewers gave the Lions a mere 51 percent.
Source: mam.cz
TV Nova will continue in the autumn television season with one title scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday prime time.
TV Nova has released several new titles for the second part of the spring season. Among them are some series previously shown on the Voyo platform, such as Král Šumavy, Gumy, and Mozaika, as well as premiere episodes of established Nova programmes. These include the series Specialisté, Případy mimořádné Marty, the quiz show Superlov, and the reality show Survivor. A new addition is the docu-reality Extrémní proměny (Extreme Weight Loss), which follows the transformation of people with obesity. Additionally, a detective series Vraždy v kraji, starring Ondřej Sokol, will also be part of Nova’s spring lineup.
This year’s spring season is also the last in which Nova broadcasts the series Jedna rodina. In the autumn, it will be replaced by a new series, also intended for Tuesday and Thursday evenings, said Silvia Majeská, the Programming Director of TV Nova and TV Markíza, in an interview for MediaGuru.cz.
Following the public unveiling of Oneplay, which took place at the end of February, we also asked about what will change with its launch in the production of Voyo’s original titles, newly called Oneplay Originals, and their possible inclusion in TV Nova’s linear programming.
The Jedna rodina series will air for the last time this spring season and will conclude this June. Do you know what will replace it starting this autumn?
Yes, we do. We are preparing a new series for the autumn. It will also air twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a completely new project, and we will present it in detail at the summer press conference. It is a project we are looking forward to, created by very experienced creators, and it also brings a very unique theme. The project is already in the intensive production process, and we will launch it in the autumn.
What are its chances with the viewers? Do you expect it to win the Tuesday and Thursday time slots?
We will see, we approach it with humility. In the end, the viewers will decide. It will also depend on the specific offering at that moment. However, we are bringing something different, it is not a completely traditional approach to the Tuesday and Thursday programming. So, we are full of anticipation, but at the same time, we know that there is some risk involved. However, we have a very experienced team, which should be a guarantee that everything will turn out well.
We also noted that new episodes of Kriminálka Anděl will be filmed.
Yes, Kriminálka has had a very successful season. It is primarily being written now, but it will definitely continue in the autumn broadcast.
We are talking shortly after the official introduction of the new service Oneplay, which replaces the existing Voyo. Will the strategy for bringing Voyo’s (or Oneplay’s) original titles to linear TV broadcasts change? This spring, we saw that Nova offered some Voyo Originals like Král Šumavy, Gumy, and is now also airing the series Mozaika, which was previously released on Voyo.
We are continuing with the setup we had. We offered Král Šumavy to viewers as a preview for the February anniversary of TV Nova and also as an incentive to watch the second season of Král Šumavy, which we will release on the new Oneplay service starting on 14 March. We are airing the series Gumy in the second prime-time window, and as for Mozaika, we launched it on Voyo several months in advance. We adopted a similar strategy with the series Případy mimořádné Marty. Mozaika wasn’t created under the Voyo Originals brand, but at that time, we wanted to offer Voyo viewers a quality series for the summer. Now, it has come to TV screens as planned.
With the arrival of Oneplay, the strategy doesn’t change, meaning that Voyo Originals, or now Oneplay Originals, will primarily be available only on Oneplay. Am I right?
Yes, the series we brought from Voyo Originals to television had a long gap between their release on Voyo and on TV. In the future, we will proceed in the same way, selecting when and which originals to include in television broadcasts based on the titles and opportunities. If we believe that viewers will want to enjoy a particular title and there is a suitable opportunity, we will offer them the chance to watch it on TV. However, the exclusivity period for originals on the platform will definitely not be shortened.
Will the Oneplay offering be localised for Slovak viewers, or will Voyo continue there?
In other countries within the entire CME group, we will aim to leverage the technological platform developed for Oneplay, offering viewers a range of options and features. I am convinced that it is just a matter of time before it is implemented in other countries. Each country is different. We will evaluate it based on what makes business sense. Right now, the priority is to successfully complete the migration in the Czech Republic. After that, we can talk about other countries, but it probably won’t happen this year.
Source: mediaguru.cz
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has filed two separate federal lawsuits against individuals in California and Pennsylvania, each accused of operating illegal internet protocol television (IPTV) services.
The first lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, targets Zachary DeBarr of Murrieta, California, the alleged operator of Outer Limits IPTV. The second lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, is against Brandon Weibley of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, who is alleged to have operated multiple illegal IPTV services, including Beast Mode Live, GreenWing Media, Viking Media, BTV, Shrugs, and Zing.
The two unrelated lawsuits allege that DeBarr and Weibley’s services facilitate mass copyright infringement by offering unauthorized access to thousands of pirated television channels, movies, and television shows.
“These lawsuits demonstrate ACE’s unwavering commitment to protecting the creative industry from digital piracy from coast to coast and around the world,”
said Karyn Temple, Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel for the Motion Picture Association.
“Illegal IPTV services not only harm creators and legitimate streaming platforms but also expose consumers to potential security and fraud risks. We will continue to take decisive legal action to shut down these operations and hold infringers accountable.”
Source: broadbandtvnews.com
A second report published today by Grant Thornton, carried out in partnership with the Live Content Coalition, demonstrates the very limited impact of the European Commission’s Recommendation of 4 May 2023 on combating online piracy of sports and other live events. It clearly indicates that the situation continues to deteriorate for live events organisers, broadcasters and workers alike.
The analysis, presented on 4 March in Brussels, covers the full year’s data for 2024 and includes a comparison with Grant Thornton’s previous analysis covering only the first half of 2024. The key findings of this second analysis:
Grant Thornton will continue to monitor the impact of the European Commission’s Recommendation on piracy of live events. The third edition of the analysis will be released in Q3 2025 reporting on key trends during the year and will offer a comprehensive view of progress through year on-year analysis.
Reaction from Live Content Coalition Members
“The latest Grant Thornton report shows that piracy of live content is continuing at pace in Europe in spite of the Recommendation. European broadcasters, sports leagues and other players in the live events environment work tirelessly to protect content from theft. Current measures are clearly not working, whilst technological advances are making piracy easier and more lucrative than ever for criminals. We once again call on the Commission to urgently bring forward legislation requiring the intermediaries, protected by safe harbour provisions, to remove infringing content within the live window, when notified. Organised crime remains the sole beneficiary of this legislative inaction, and it is imperative that we protect the survival of the live events sector in Europe.” – Mark Lichtenhein, Chair of the Sports Rights Owners Coalition,and Grégoire Polad, Director General, Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe.
About the Live Content Coalition
The Live Content Coalition is a group of representatives of leading European live content producers, broadcasters, and exhibitors. As representatives of live events, including sports, music concerts and festivals, broadcast television and video on demand services, and tickets sellers, we are all united in the fight to stop piracy.
[1] Dedicated Server Providers are defined in Grant Thornton’s analysis as companies or organisations that offer dedicated server hosting services, including server hardware, network infrastructure, and management for hosting websites, applications, and data.
Source: acte.be
In a major crackdown on digital piracy, German authorities have arrested three individuals suspected of running a large-scale illegal streaming operation.
The network, which allegedly distributed a major pay-TV operator’s content to over 30,000 users worldwide, caused multi-million-euro damages, according to the Bavarian Central Office for Cybercrime. The operation, carried out on 18 February 2025, followed nearly two years of intensive investigations by the Cybercrime Division of the Hof Criminal Police and the Bavarian Central Office for Cybercrime. The probe began in June 2023 after the affected pay-TV operator filed a complaint.
The prime suspect, a 36-year-old man from the Wunsiedel district, is believed to have managed the illegal distribution with the help of accomplices. To dismantle the network, police formed a special task force named “Panel,” leading to extensive coordinated raids across 17 locations. Over 150 law enforcement officers from Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein, and Saarland took part in the operation.
The authorities seized around €16,000 in cash, €35,000 in cryptocurrencies, and over 200 digital devices. They also deactivated multiple servers used to operate the illegal streaming services.
The three main suspects were arrested and remain in custody following warrants issued by the Bamberg District Court. They face charges including commercial computer fraud, which carries potential prison sentences ranging from six months to ten years. Additional suspects are under investigation for either reselling or personally utilising the illegal streaming services.
Source: broadbandtvnews.com
Nordic broadcasters Discovery, TV4, and Viaplay have begun legal action against several operators as part of a crackdown on illegal operators.
The three companies have filed a claim with the Stockholm District Court, Patent and Market Court that says the operators are enabling unlicensed service to gain access to their copyrighted content.
One lawsuit said subscribers to the internet service providers have been able to connect to domains run by Nordic One/N1 via their internet connections, gaining them access to the illegal restransmission.
According to the Stockholm-based consultancy Mediaviion said Nordic One/N1 was described as one of the largest criminal entities in Sweden and the Nordic region in relation to illegal IPTV. The service hijacks television broadcasts from TV companies and distributors, then rebroadcasts them to the public for a fee via its own servers – without the consent of the rights holders.
“In light of this, it can be concluded that the internet providers have contributed to Nordic One/N1’s infringement of the rights holders’ respective signal rights,” the lawsuit states.
Discovery, TV4, and Viaplay are seeking a court order to prohibit internet service providers from facilitating the illegal use of their content. In other words, operators should be required to pay a specified sum if they violate the ban. The TV companies argue that the operators are partly responsible, meaning they are facilitating copyright infringement by failing to take action.
The case has echoes of the action taken by LaLiga against Cloudflare.
Mediavision says a growing number of Swedish households are now subscribing to the illegal services. Its data shows that at the end of 2024, over 700,000 households in Sweden were paying for such services – a new record and a significant increase compared to spring 2024.
Source: broadbandtvnews.com
