Man who sold ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks is jailed for two years after £108,000 scam – as ‘strong warning’ is sent amid crackdown on illegal Premier League streaming
- ‘Dodgy’ Fire Sticks allow people to watch illegal streams of premium channels
- The authorities want to tackle a practice that is damaging broadcasters
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A man has been jailed for two years after selling ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks that allowed users to watch pirate streams of Premier League matches.
Sunny Kanda, 41, of Creek View, Wheatley, in Halifax, broke copyright laws when he sold the sticks.
He conned legitimate providers out of more than £108,000 over an 18-month period between 2020 and 2022.
It comes amid a crackdown on illegal streaming after repeated warnings from the Premier League.
The practice has become a major problem in the sport, with at least 20 million people illegally watching Tyson Fury’s first fight with Oleksandr Usyk last May, costing broadcasters £80 million in revenue.
Kanda pleaded guilty to three charges relating to fraud, copyright and concealing bank transfers linked to criminal activity. He was sentenced at York Crown Court on Friday.
Sunny Kanda (photo) has been jailed for two years for selling ‘shady’ Fire Sticks
The devices allow users to watch sporting events for free through a ‘jailbroken’ device
A campaign has been launched to tackle the illegal practice, which is a major problem for broadcasters
Its customers had access to a range of channels including Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Netflix and Disney+. He ran a Facebook group with 3,900 members for his side hustle.
A hearing will take place on May 7 to decide whether financial orders will be imposed on him.
The ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks look like their Amazon counterparts, but have been hacked or ‘jailbroken’ to give free access to content behind a paywall.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft’s (FACT) has tackled the crime.
The campaign focuses on dismantling piracy operations and has seen agents visiting people in person and sending warnings by post, suggesting criminal charges would follow if they did not immediately halt their activities.
Following Kanda’s conviction, Fact CEO Kieron Sharp said: ‘The outcome serves as both a consequence for those involved in this criminal activity and a stark warning to others considering similar action.
“Illegal streaming is not a victimless crime. It weakens the creative industries, puts consumers at risk for data theft and often funds other serious crimes.”