An individual was advertising media players through Marktplaats.nl with “interesting features.” In response to the ads, the Dutch anti-piracy agency BREIN investigated the nature of these “interesting features.” The investigation revealed that the advertiser was referring to illegal IPTV subscriptions.
BREIN subsequently purchased an IPTV subscription from the provider, which provided illegal access to numerous TV series, films, and live broadcasts. The rights holders of the illegally offered material are losing significant revenue due to these types of subscriptions, which are currently incredibly popular in the Netherlands. This revenue disappears into the pockets of these rogue IPTV providers. This often involves large sums of money.
After BREIN identified the seller, it attempted to negotiate a cease-and-desist letter and settlement, but these were not pursued in this case. Aside from denying any involvement in the sale of IPTV subscriptions, BREIN has heard nothing further from the person in question.
Subsequently BREIN went to court, which agreed with BREIN that there was sufficient evidence that the defendant was indeed responsible for offering illegal IPTV subscriptions.
Following a summons from the Dutch anti-piracy agency BREIN, the Breda (NL) District Court convicted and ordered the seller to cease selling these subscriptions.
The defendant is now responsible for all costs incurred by BREIN and has been issued substantial penalty payments of up to €75,000.
Why it matters
“Illegal IPTV subscriptions may feel like a victimless crime, said BREIN director Bastiaan van Ramshorst. “Those who suffer are the creators and providers of the content, but you’re not directly confronted with them. Yet, these kinds of TV services are extremely harmful and remain illegal.
“Not only the sale of illegal IPTV subscriptions, but also their use: Every time a user streams from an illegal source, they commit an infringement. This has been confirmed by the highest court. It has also often been demonstrated that as a user of these types of subscriptions, you’re dealing with some pretty shady characters, with all the consequences that entails,” said Mr. van Ramshorst.
Further reading
Illegal IPTV subscription trader convicted in absentia. Press release. October 14, 2025. BREIN (NL)