On August 12, DISH Network, the #2 US satellite operator, brought a suit against a shadowy pirate video provider called Easybox IPTV. Easybox distributes a service with “more than 1,000 channels,” including several channels that are licensed exclusively for distribution by DISH, using an illicit streaming device that is pre-configured with the channels.
From early 2016 through early August 2019, DISH and the companies that own the infringed channels filed more than 100 infringement notices with Easybox without response, plus an additional 170 notices to CDN providers. The suit requests damages of “up to $150,000 per registered work infringed..(plus) attorney fees and costs.”
Why it matters
DISH has had a winning track record against video pirates. Earlier in 2019, DISH won a $90 million judgment against SET TV. In 2018, DISH and another group of TV programmers won $6.6 million in a suit filed against another pirate, Dibia Networks.
In addition to Easybox IPTV, DISH has another pending case against Serverlogy, which had been hosting a pirate video service called East IPTV.
If history is a guide, these suits will surely will not be the last.
