Dodgy Fire Stick users’ names and addresses to be handed over following High Court order which targets illegal Premier League streamers
The names and addresses of more than 300 ‘redbox’ users will be handed over to Sky in a bid to curb illegal streaming, Ireland’s Supreme Court has heard.
Judge Brian Cregan made an order requiring Revolut Bank UAB to provide details of 304 subscribers as well as ten dealers.
The decision comes after Sky launched civil proceedings against Revolut after subscribers used its banking app to pay sellers of pirated content.
It’s a move that has led to the identification and prosecution of those illegally watching Premier League football via ‘dodgy boxes’ and ‘dangerous Firesticks’.
Sky had sought a Norwich Pharmacal order allowing it to obtain information from third parties ‘involved’ in crime.
Theo Donnelly, representing Sky, told the High Court the information would be used to take legal action against sellers and some users.
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Revolut lawyer John Freeman said his client was neutral on the Sky application.
Sky’s action comes as a result of a civil lawsuit against Wexford resident David Dunbar.
Dunbar was found to be running an illegal streaming service with payments made into his Revolut account last year. Sky was ordered to pay €480,000 (£415,000) in compensation and €100,000 (£86,000) in costs. Dunbar was fined a further €30,000 (£26,000) for breaching court orders to protect data.
Sky found 12 merchants and 304 users transferred sums to Dunbar via Revolut, prompting the company to seek details from its banking app.
The court heard that two of the 12 vendors had already been prosecuted.
Information on Irish dodgebox users is scheduled to be transmitted to Sky via an encrypted spreadsheet within 28 days.
Daily Mail Sport understands that several illegal UK-based streaming accounts are using feeds from Irish Sky boxes.
‘Dangerous boxes’ and illegal Fire Sticks are streaming devices loaded with third-party software that allow users to watch premium content from providers such as TNT Sports, Sky Sports and Disney+ for free.
The use of these devices is considered a ‘serious offence’ and police forces in the UK and Ireland, along with the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), are targeting individuals who continue to watch content without permission.
Sky, which pays billions of dollars to the Premier League to show matches, also has its own pirate team.
Police have warned that the purchase of Fire Sticks and dodgy boxes ‘often helps finance organized crime’ and that streaming software installed on devices often leads to personal information being compromised, including banking details.
