Hollywood and Netflix request Kodi-powered boxes be SEIZED by court

[Len]

AN ALLIANCE of Hollywood studios, as well as on-demand services like Netflix and Amazon, want to seize so-called Kodi Boxes sold by TickBox TV, as well as remove any streaming add-ons via a forced software update, a California Court has heard.

An anti-piracy alliance of Hollywood studios, as well as on-demand competitors like Amazon and Netflix, have filed a proposal that could see so-called Kodi Boxes seized by a California Court.

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has requested TickBox TV push-out a software update that blocks any add-ons that enable users to stream premium content for free without permission from the rightsholders. It has also proposed all previously sold set-top boxes sold by TickBox TV should be seized.

TickBox TV is a popular streaming set-top box, powered by the Kodi media player.

According to the studios, the Georgia-based company includes instructions for a number of Kodi add-ons that enable users to stream paid-for content for free.

Much of this paid-for content is generated by the likes of Disney, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros, Amazon, Netflix – which are all part of the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment.

For those unaware, Kodi is a neutral, open-source media player that can be installed on a range of devices – from cheap set-top boxes powered by Android, to known brands, like Amazon Fire TV Stick.

However, apps for the platform – known as add-ons – built by third-party developers can allow users to stream premium content, like paid-for sports and movie channels, without paying.

The abundance of these illegal streaming add-ons has left Kodi with an unfortunate reputation.

So-called Kodi Boxes are devices, manufactured by a number of different brands, with all the requisite third-party software to stream paid-for content for free preinstalled on the set-top box.

“TickBox promotes and distributes TickBox TV for infringing use, and that is exactly the result of its use,” the Californian court heard this week.

According to piracy blog TorrentFreak, ACE has submitted a preliminary injunction to the court – hoping to stop Tickbox from selling any more Kodi-powered devices.

In their initial application, ACE writes: “TickBox is intentionally inducing infringement, pure and simple.

"Plaintiffs respectfully request that the Court enter a preliminary injunction that requires TickBox to halt its flagrantly illegal conduct immediately."

However, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment is not only seeking to stop the sale of new TickBox TV devices.

It also requested that all existing hardware from the company be impounded.

The motion requests, "All TickBox TV devices in the possession of TickBox and all of its officers, directors, agents, servants, and employees, and all persons in active concert or participation or in privity with any of them are to be impounded and shall be retained by Defendant until further order of the Court."



It also asks that "TickBox shall, via software update, remove from all distributed TickBox TV devices all Kodi 'Themes,' 'Builds,' 'Addons,' or any other software that facilitates the infringing public performances of Plaintiffs’ Copyrighted Works, including, but not limited to Spinz, Lodi Black, Stream on Fire, Wookie, Aqua, CMM, Spanish Quasar, Paradox, Covenant, Elysium, UK Turk, Gurzil, Maverick, and Poseidon."

The court filing shows just how serious ACE is in its efforts to halt the sale of any devices that enable viewers to watch their content for free.

Express.co.uk has approached TickBox TV for comment on the injunction request.

According to the company website, “TickBox TV does not host, provide, archive, store, or distribute any other content or media of any kind, and acts merely as a directory of content and apps posted by others at their own discretion. tick box prohibits the use of material for any purpose other than that for which it is intended and lawful.

“TickBox TV should not be utilised to download or stream any copyrighted content without permission from the copyright holder.”