Hundreds of users of dodgy box and Fire Sticks have been warned they could face legal action from Sky.
The broadcaster has sent letters to addresses in Ireland, giving individuals two weeks to provide a written commitment not to stream content illegally again.
Should individuals fail to respond or break the promise, Sky state it will consider legal action against them.
The warning comes after the Irish High Court ruled in March that names and addresses of over 300 ‘dodgy box’ users would be handed over to Sky in efforts to clamp down on illegal streaming.
Sky had launched civil action against Revolut Bank UAB, after 304 subscribers had used the banking app to pay resellers of pirated content.
The broadcaster had sought a Norwich Pharmacal order, which allows information to be obtained from third parties who have become ‘mixed up’ in wrongdoing.
Hundreds of users of dodgy box and Fire Sticks have been warned they could face legal action in letters by Sky
Broadcasters have been seeking to take legal action against illegal streamers and resellers
The move raised the prospect of those watching Premier League football illegally through ‘dodgy boxes’ and ‘dodgy Fire Sticks’ being identified and prosecuted.
‘Sky can confirm it has issued a first wave of cease-and-desist letters to c.200 individuals who paid for an unlawful subscription to the illegal IPTV is Easy service,’ a Sky spokesperson told the Irish Times.
‘Where an individual does not engage with us following receipt of this letter, Sky is prepared to pursue legal action.
‘This may include seeking an injunction, damages arising from the infringement, and recovery of legal costs.’
The Irish Times reported that Sky had informed the recipients of the letter that it believes they have purchased a subscription ‘providing access to an app and/or streaming device (such as modified Amazon Fire TV Sticks or similar) that allows people to watch Sky channels (and others) without having a Sky subscription.
‘This is illegal as Sky owns the legal rights to the Sky channels.’
The warning, which Sky stated should be considered a ‘legal letter’, called on the recipients ‘to stop using illegal IPTV services and to turn off your access to any such services immediately’.
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Many UK-based illegal streaming accounts utilise feeds from Irish Sky boxes, Daily Mail Sport understands.
‘Dodgy boxes’ and illegal Fire Sticks are streaming devices that have third-party software installed in them, allowing users to watch premium content from providers such as TNT Sports, Sky Sports and Disney+ for free.
The use of these devices is deemed a ‘serious crime’, and police forces across the UK and Ireland, alongside the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), have been targeting individuals who continue to watch unauthorised content.
Sky, who pay billions to the Premier League to show matches, also have their own in-house piracy team.
Police have warned that the purchasing of Fire Sticks and dodgy boxes ‘often helps fund organised crime’, and the streaming software installed on the devices often leads to personal information becoming compromised, including banking details.
