A US District Court in Florida ruled that in addition to what is probably a record piracy award, Carlos Rocha, the operator of two streaming services, Stream Solutions and Sol TV cannot distribute DISH content without written authorization from DISH.
Rocha was also associated with a number of other piracy operations, including SET TV, Simply-TV, BimoTV, TVStreamsNow, OneStepTV, IbexTV, MagnumStreams, Prime Tyme TV, Lazer TV Streams, Griff TV, Flix Streams, and CantGetEnoughTV.
A defendant in the separate case, DISH Network L.L.C. v. BimoTV, LLC, had admitted that the content streamed illegally through his own services, originated from Rocha. Also, DISH discovered that a DISH account registered to SolTV’s email address of info@soltv.ca was being used to provide the pirated DISH content sold through BimoTV. This led to discovery of an IP address registered to Rocha.
Charges filed
The complaint filed by DISH and its technology partner Nagrastar cited Rocha for trafficking in, selling, and distributing unauthorized and pirated programming content stolen from DISH, as well as trafficking in device codes that allow others unauthorized access to that content, both directly to subscribers in the instance of SolTV, Stream Solutions, and others like them.
Rocha’s operation sold device codes that could be used to access his illegal services through a variety of distribution channels, including social media, Web browsers, and hardware devices.
Details of the ruling
The ruling contains several pages of detail which have the effect of prohibiting the defendants from manufacturing, developing, hosting, distributing, promoting any technology, product or access credentials that could assist a consumer to access signal or content from DISH or its afiliates.
Nor can Rocha’s operation conceal, modify, hide, transfer or destroy any infrastructure or devices used to process, deliver, receive, access, decode or store DISH content or signal. Within seven days of the order (May 9th), the defendant must transfer all device codes, renewal codes, subscriptions and applications, as well as “computers, phones, servers and all social media, financial, online or other accounts, and domains associated in any way with the Unauthorized Streaming Services,” to DISH or a designated agent.
Further reading:
Documents associated with Case number 820-cv-02983-MSS-TGW by the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- The original complaint, DISH Network LLC and Nagrastar LLC, Plaintiffs, v. Carlos Rocha, individually and d/b/a/SOLTV and STREAM SOLUTIONS, December 22, 2021
- The Notice of Settlement, April 28, 2022
- Agreed Judgment and Permanent Injunction, and Motion to Approve Consent Judgment, May 2, 2022, signed by Defendant
Why it matters
By virtue of its massive size alone, this case will be remembered as a benchmark against which other cases will be compared. Piracy Monitor will report on further developments, including whether or not the amount awarded by the court is actually paid.
