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UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:10 am
by benteke
How the UK plans to block illegal Kodi football streams

For the first time, restrictions will only be in effect while Premier League matches are being played.




Last week, at the High Court, the Football Association Premier League (FAPL) was granted stronger powers to crack down on the illegal streaming of English football matches. Instead of chasing websites hosting live players, the League can now block the servers that provide the live feeds, cutting off "Kodi boxes" -- a combination of legitimate media centre software with non-authorised third-party plugins -- and similar IPTV services. But how will it be enforced? Now that the order is publicly available, we can shed some light on how the FAPL intends to utilise its new powers.

It all starts with Mr Justice Arnold, who approved the FAPL's application to introduce the first ever "live" blocks with help from the six major UK broadband providers. BT, EE, PlusNet, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media have been told that they must now block a list of IP addresses associated with "the Target Servers."

Before the ruling was handed down, the FAPL had engaged a third-party contractor (which isn't named) to monitor shady feeds using a "proprietary video fingerprinting technology." This generated a "large number" of servers (that sometimes switched IP addresses to evade tracking), which could then be shared with ISPs.

The second stage in the two-part process involves the FAPL's own three-part method for identifying infringing servers. However, the League -- with support from BT, EE, Sky and Virgin -- requested that the process remain confidential in order to stop the public from identifying ways to circumvent the restrictions. Five of the six providers positively supported the order, but TalkTalk didn't back the application. It also didn't oppose it, so an agreement was reached.

The ruling indicates why "Kodi boxes" in particular are being targeted: "The skill and effort required to find and use such devices and apps to access infringing content has fallen dramatically. Devices such as set-top boxes and media players are easy to connect to domestic televisions. Software to access suitable streams (in particular, software known as Kodi together with third-party add-ons) has become much easier to find and install. Indeed, it is increasingly easy to purchase set-top boxes and other devices which are already loaded with such software. Moreover, sources of infringing content often update automatically."

Over the past year, UK authorities have cracked down on sellers of "fully-loaded" Kodi boxes. People have built businesses around pre-loading media players like Amazon's Fire TV Stick with the necessary plugins to access illegal video streams. In fact, Justice Arnold specifically references Amazon's streaming dongle in the ruling. Kodi has moved to distance its free software from any potential illegal activity but the term "Kodi box" continues to propagate.

On March 18th, the order will come into effect. This delay gives providers some extra time to ready themselves. As you'd expect, a live server block works a little differently to restrictions placed on a typical website. For a start, blocks will only be in force when Premier League matches are being played. Judge Arnold states that technological advances in video fingerprinting can identify illegal streams in near real-time, allowing ISPs to be notified of new servers "nearly instantaneously."

Justice Arnold also noted that ISPs now have malleable blocking systems that can be automatically restrict access to IP addresses while a game is being played. The order will force providers to "re-set" their block list every week, allowing new servers to be added and old servers to be removed if they no longer serve infringing content.

To assess its effectiveness, the order will run until May 22nd, which is the final day of the Premier League season. All parties will then submit feedback, including any issues they faced, before the FAPL submits a new application for the 2017/18 season.

Although the Premier League is perhaps the biggest source of illegal streams, major bodies of other sports are watching the FAPL order very closely. The BBC, German/Spanish/Scottish football leagues, ECB, PGA European Tour, Professional Darts Corporation and Rugby Football Union all supported the order. Should it be a success, we could see one of these associations apply for their own server blocks.

Justice Arnold notes:

"FAPL contends that, taking into account the considerations outlined above, the Order is proportionate. It does not impair the rights of the Defendants to carry on business. To the limited extent that it interferes with the rights of internet users to impart or receive information, the interference is justified by a legitimate aim, namely preventing infringement of FAPL's copyrights on a large scale, and it is proportionate to that aim: it will be effective and dissuasive, no equally effective but less onerous measures are available to FAPL, it avoids creating barriers to legitimate trade, it is not unduly complicated or costly and it contains safeguards against misuse. I accept this contention."

The order is quite specific in its focus, no two IPTV services/plugins are the same. VPNs and proxy servers, plus a rise in peer-to-peer streaming, may help users circumvent the blocks, if only for a short time. The true test will come on Saturday, when Kodi plugin administrators will go head-to-head with the UK's biggest ISPs.


https://www.engadget.com/2017/03/15/uk- ... /#comments

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:15 am
by benteke
Anybody using the Amazon fire stick, i see the justice mentioned it and the article says the crackdown starts this saturday

Rip off Britain at work

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:18 am
by tfco
:curse: :curse:

they can fook right off

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:21 am
by metalalloy
Lol. They will have to shut down Google then. Where do they think these streams come from?

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:00 am
by balo
It hasn't been working well for 6 months anyways. As long as they don't block PlayStation Vue, we should be fine.

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:08 am
by Comrade Machel
benteke wrote:Anybody using the Amazon fire stick, i see the justice mentioned it and the article says the crackdown starts this saturday

Rip off Britain at work
Anything to do with money trust the Brits to be on it :curse: I hope kodi and their people stay ahead of the game.

The problem is those people who help sustain the system by paying for all services. If everyone boycotted pay per view football and other paid services the hthing would bring prices down to a level manageable for the average Joe Blogs. Previously I subscribed to sky sports and then they sold some rights to BT forcing people to buy that service too. Bloody scandalous methinks. That's close to £70 a month tomwatch football. For those prices they should b forced to offer some free EPL and cl games on normal TV as way to give back to fans. Why is it that we can generally watch big rubby games free on TV and not football except useless FA games :curse:

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:37 am
by Robotnik
This is why you shouldn't ditch your cable tv

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:49 am
by KIZONZO
balo wrote:It hasn't been working well for 6 months anyways. As long as they don't block PlayStation Vue, we should be fine.

They can't block VUE because that's a legal stream. They can and are only going after illegal streams!

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 8:17 am
by tfco
Robotnik wrote:This is why you shouldn't ditch your cable tv
funny.

signed,
napster, fbtz, stream, goatd, atdhe....+100's more

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 12:52 pm
by Robotnik
tfco wrote:
Robotnik wrote:This is why you shouldn't ditch your cable tv
funny.

signed,
napster, fbtz, stream, goatd, atdhe....+100's more
With pop-ups and virus..eww

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:46 pm
by balo
Robotnik wrote:
tfco wrote:
Robotnik wrote:This is why you shouldn't ditch your cable tv
funny.

signed,
napster, fbtz, stream, goatd, atdhe....+100's more
With pop-ups and virus..eww
It is an indictment on cable companies. They need to stop forcing people to pay for channels they don't watch. They are the ones encouraging illegal streams.

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:50 pm
by balo
KIZONZO wrote:
balo wrote:It hasn't been working well for 6 months anyways. As long as they don't block PlayStation Vue, we should be fine.

They can't block VUE because that's a legal stream. They can and are only going after illegal streams!

More of them will spring up to kick regular cable companies to the curb.

WWE Network, fubotv, SlingTV.

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 2:49 pm
by bushboy
About time!!! I was starting to feel like a fool for still paying huge monthly cable bills. Now, I feel better.

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 2:54 pm
by metalalloy
bushboy wrote:About time!!! I was starting to feel like a fool for still paying huge monthly cable bills. Now, I feel better.

See dis hater :rotf: they cant stop streams, you kill one 20 more pop up. I hear you though. Me sef, i have the full cable package bcos of my wife and kid, but still have my kodi box. People like me suppose get exemption :taunt: :taunt:

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 3:25 pm
by cchinukw
Robotnik wrote:
tfco wrote:
Robotnik wrote:This is why you shouldn't ditch your cable tv
funny.

signed,
napster, fbtz, stream, goatd, atdhe....+100's more
With pop-ups and virus..eww
You nor get malware cleaner? :sneaky:

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 5:16 pm
by tfco
cchinukw wrote:
Robotnik wrote:
tfco wrote:
Robotnik wrote:This is why you shouldn't ditch your cable tv
funny.

signed,
napster, fbtz, stream, goatd, atdhe....+100's more
With pop-ups and virus..eww
You nor get malware cleaner? :sneaky:
no mind dem.

continue being gouged by the cable companies while making excuses FOR them..

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2017 5:17 pm
by tfco
bushboy wrote:About time!!! I was starting to feel like a fool for still paying huge monthly cable bills. Now, I feel better.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yes. That $100+ you've been paying monthly vs my one-time $260 Kodi device in late-2015.
A fool and his money....

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 1:35 pm
by Akure4Life
tfco wrote:
bushboy wrote:About time!!! I was starting to feel like a fool for still paying huge monthly cable bills. Now, I feel better.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yes. That $100+ you've been paying monthly vs my one-time $260 Kodi device in late-2015.
A fool and his money....
$260 for a kodi device?

I paid less than $60 for mine

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 2:02 pm
by balo
Akure4Life wrote:
tfco wrote:
bushboy wrote:About time!!! I was starting to feel like a fool for still paying huge monthly cable bills. Now, I feel better.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yes. That $100+ you've been paying monthly vs my one-time $260 Kodi device in late-2015.
A fool and his money....
$260 for a kodi device?

I paid less than $60 for mine

There are different qualities of those kodi boxes. I have a $40 that was total waste of money. Then I had a $100 that was doing well and another $159 one I was using before kodi started to mess up. Updates weren't happening anymore. Stream links were dead.

Now I don't use them anymore since PlayStation Vue came to the rescue.

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2017 2:10 pm
by tfco
sorry, it's an android box.

$260 incl the remote control

so i get the kodi streams + GH movies etc etc

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2017 6:40 pm
by benteke
Lads in the UK, how did your 'Kodi boxes' work today

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 2:19 pm
by Akure4Life
benteke wrote:Lads in the UK, how did your 'Kodi boxes' work today

Mine worked perfectly fine

Re: UK plans to block illegal Kodi Football streams

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 3:55 pm
by metalalloy
Akure4Life wrote:
tfco wrote:
bushboy wrote:About time!!! I was starting to feel like a fool for still paying huge monthly cable bills. Now, I feel better.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yes. That $100+ you've been paying monthly vs my one-time $260 Kodi device in late-2015.
A fool and his money....
$260 for a kodi device?

I paid less than $60 for mine

And that is $60 too much :D . the software is free and you don't need a box to operate it.