An individual has been sentenced to 16 months in prison having been found guilty of selling illicit streaming devices pre-loaded with premium content.
Warren Gleave was sentenced at Burnley Crown Court and was immediately taken into custody.
Over a three year period, Gleave unlawfully made in excess of £200,000 by selling, via online marketplaces and his own website, streaming devices that were pre-loaded with Sky and other premium content that had been sourced illegally.
On 4 May 2018, at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court, Mr Gleave pleaded guilty to an offence of knowingly participating in a fraudulent business, contrary to section 9 of the Fraud Act 2006.
The case was committed for sentence to Burnley Crown Court, where today (14 August) Gleave was sentenced to a 16 month custodial sentence.
“This case sends a clear message that piracy, in whatever form it takes, is illegal, and the repercussions for engaging in it can be severe,” said Matthew Hibbert, Head of Litigation at Sky UK.
“More than ever, those who are illegally engaging in piracy are in jeopardy of being detected, prosecuted and convicted,” commented Gareth Minty, Legal Director at Mishcon de Reya.
“Private prosecutions are being used increasingly by rights holders, which means it is no longer just the police and other state authorities investigating and prosecuting these crimes”
