In August 2024, the offender, Sunny Kumar Kanda, 40, of Creek View, Wheatley, Halifax, had pleaded guilty to three charges. He had violated the UK’s Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988, the Proceeds of Crime Act of 2002 and Fraud Act of 2006 for supplying and distributing Amazon Fire TV Stick devices and for concealing bank transfers linked to criminal activity.
Over an 18-month period between 2020 and 2022, Mr Kanda cheated legitimate providers out of over £108,000 by selling illegal fire sticks through a closed Facebook group that ended up with more than 3,900 members.
Fire Sticks are media streaming devices made by Amazon, which enable users stream videos, play music and install apps on their TV. Mr Kanda sold them to consumers with full knowledge that they provided unauthorised access to premium subscriber content to premium television content from legitimate providers such as Sky, BT Sport, Disney+ and Netflix.
Originally named ‘KD Streams’ but later rebranded as ‘KD Media’, an undercover investigator from UK-based FACT, the Federation Against Copyright Theft, joined the group and made a test purchase of the advertised fire stick. After analysis, it was uncovered that the fire stick had been modified to provide unauthorized access to premium film, television, and live sports content using applications called The Vodfather XC and Plex.
The investigation was conducted by the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, hosted by City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council, working in partnership with intellectual property organisation, FACT.
On January 3, he was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment at the York Crown Court; effectively immediately. The penalty had a starting point of 3 years, but Kanda received 1/3 credit. There will be a further hearing on May 7, 2025, to determine whether financial orders may also be imposed.
Further reading
Yorkshire TV Fire Stick Seller Jailed for Two Years. Press release. January 3, 2025. FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft, UK)
Man jailed for two years for selling ‘dodgy fire sticks’ on Facebook. Article. January 5, 2025. by Alice Padgett. LBC (Leading Britain’s Conversation)
Why it matters
In a prepared statement, a spokesperson for UK National Trading Standards explained: “Accessing pirated content through illegal TV fire sticks undermines the UK’s entertainment industry, putting its talented workforce and supply chains at risk by depriving them of fair earnings and revenue. It also puts consumers at risk by exposing them to illegal software that can put their data and bank details in jeopardy.
Added FACT CEO Kieron Sharp, ”
“Illegal streaming isn’t a victimless crime. It weakens the creative industries, puts consumers at risk of data theft and often funds other serious crimes. The outcome serves as both a consequence for those involved in these criminal activities and as a strong warning to others considering similar action.”
