On April 9, Criminal Court number 2 of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, sentenced four businessmen to six month prison terms, a fine of 6 months with a daily fee, and confiscation of illegal streaming devices. They also were banned from commercial activities related to illegal streaming devices distributed by the Blusens company.
The offenders must also pay €1,200,000 plus costs for compensation for civil liability for intellectual property infringement. The compensation contemplated is one of the largest obtained in an operation of this type in Spain.
The sentence contemplates a fifth person who used the Telegram social network to promote a forum in which the use of the illegal devices was advertised and encouraged.
Ongoing anti-piracy operation
The case that prompted this severe outcome were part of ‘Operation Indigo,´ which began in 2017 against one of the largest importers and distributors of illicit streaming devices at the time. BlusensTV was sold in large stores and over the Internet, which allowed unlicensed access to all kinds of protected content (movies and series), television platforms and soccer matches.
Collaborative action
The complaint by the Rights Management Entity of Audiovisual Producers (EGEDA) set in motion several actions by the Economic and Technological Crime Group within the Guardia Civil’s Brigada Provincial de Policía Judicial of Galicia, in coordination with the intellectual property crimes section of Spain’s National Police.
These included the immediate blocking of piracy links and the cessation of service, the sealing of thousands of devices, and the obtaining of the evidence that led the ruling of this court.
Original press release
Four businessmen related to Blusens sentenced to six months in prison for the distribution of intellectual property-infringing devices. Press release. April 26, 2025, EGEDA, the Rights Management Entity of Audiovisual Producers (Spain)
Why it matters
EGEDA members include Telefónica España, Grup Mediapro, LaLiga, Multicanal Iberia (AMC Networks) and ADIVAN, some of the largest media and communcations interests in Spain.
