All domains related to the illegal streaming service Magis TV are to be blocked, after an order by the Justice department of Argentina. In addition, Google was asked to disable Magis TV’s app in Android. **
Magis TV is the largest illegal Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service in Latin America by monthly visits, according to the LaLiga football league; with 55 million visits in the last six months across Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Magis TV offers live television and other audiovisual content from various producers and distributors over the internet without broadcasting rights, directly to end users.
Decision, takedown and ongoing investigation
The decision was handed down by Judge Esteban Rossignoli of Court No. 4 in San Isidro. Raids were conducted in Buenos Aires and Misiones to uncover and seize illicit streaming devices that had been pre-loaded with the Magis TV app. Three Argentines and two Brazilians were arrested.
The actions were conducted as part of Phase 7 of Operation 404, an ongoing anti-piracy initiative conducted by Brazil’s Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with authorities in Peru, the UK and the United States; in which 675 Web sites and 14 streaming apps were dismantled. Phase 7 was announced by the Ministry on September 19.
After the ruling, LaLiga, broadcaster of mens professional futból (soccer) in the Spanish football league system, committed to supporting investigations carried out by Argentina’s Cybercrime Prosecutor’s Office of the Specialized Cybercrime Unit (UFEIC) and the anti-piracy organization Alianza. LaLiga’s Anti-Audiovisual Fraud team in Spain and representatives in Argentina compiled reports and evidence to assist in the case, which have already been handed over to the Prosecutor’s Office.
** Note: at the time of this writing, two Magis TV apps remained available via Apple’s App Store.
Further reading
Court ruling orders Google to dismantle Magis TV, one of the world’s leading piracy platforms on Android. Article. September 20, 2024. LaLiga
Brazil announces Operation 404, Phase 7, and first wins under Operation Redirect. Article. by Steven Hawley. September 20, 2024. Piracy Monitor
Why it matters
“It was a highly significant ruling,” according to the LaLiga sports league in a prepared statement. “Once Magis TV’s infrastructure is blocked, it prohibits the App from being loaded in the Android environment, and will disable it on devices that had already downloaded the application prior to this ruling, something that has not happened before in any final judgment worldwide.
“Google plays a key role as an intermediary in the entire operational chain of audiovisual fraud, obtaining significant revenue from it. It’s estimated that if Google were to cooperate, piracy could be reduced by up to 80%, as LALIGA President Javier Tebas has publicly stated on numerous occasions.”
