In a truly ironic case, a police officer with the Greater Manchester Police has received a one year sentence for operating a pirate video service that cost a UK satellite TV provider more than £2 million in lost revenue.
The pirate operator ran a streaming IP video portal that was accessible via Web browsers, using a subscription payment model, and also sold more than 1,600 illicit streaming devices.
The pirate reported no revenue to the UK’s tax authorities, making it both an intellectual property crime and a financial crime as well.
The Detective Constable of the Greater Manchester Police lamented that the pirate “was a police employee with a good career. That is now in tatters and he’s facing a lengthy prison sentence during which to contemplate his foolish and deceitful actions.”
Why it matters
This again underscores the importance of collaboration in fighting piracy; this time, between local law enforcement, financial intelligence and FACT, the UK intellectual property organization. Presumably, the affected satellite TV operator was also involved, although no such details were cited in FACT’s news release.
