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Kodi Magazine 'Directs Readers To Pirate Content' (bbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the pen-is-mightier dept.

An anonymous reader writes: A British magazine is directing readers to copyright-infringing software, the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact) has said. Kodi is a free, legal media player for computers -- but software add-ons can make it possible to download pirated content. The Complete Guide to Kodi magazine instructs readers on how to download such add-ons. Dennis Publishing has not yet responded to a BBC request for comment. The magazine is available at a number of retailers including WH Smith, Waterstones and Amazon. It was spotted on sale by cyber-security researcher Kevin Beaumont. It repeatedly warns readers of the dangers of accessing pirated content online, but one article lists a series of software packages alongside screenshots promoting "free TV", "popular albums" and "world sport". "Check before you stream and use them at your own risk," the guide says, before adding that readers should stay "on the right side of the law."

30 of 48 comments (clear)

  1. So do I, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Torrentz2.eu

  2. Oh, come on. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Leave Kodi alone. It's bad enough Netflix and other legal streaming services won't develop an add-on for the media player, but now you attack a piece of software because add-on developers, (NOT CORE), made something which CAN stream pirated content?

    Fuck off already.

    1. Re: Oh, come on. by muffen · · Score: 3, Informative

      Seems like the complaint is towards the magazine and not Kodi itself.

    2. Re: Oh, come on. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      FUD rarely has to be on target to be effective.

    3. Re:Oh, come on. by KiloByte · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And why those "security researchers" won't teach users about the dangers of DRM? That pirated content are harmless data-only files, while "legal" crap requires installing backdoor malware.

      --
      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    4. Re: Oh, come on. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The funny thing is, Slashdot now directs Readers to a Magazine that directs Readers to Pirate Content. I had never heard of "The Complete Guide to Kodi" magazine until now.
      msmash/manishs, have you no shame?

    5. Re: Oh, come on. by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Indeed. It is an area effect weapon.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    6. Re: Oh, come on. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Um, well one could genuinely ask why does a spreadsheet need such levels of scripting complexity that something like this is possible in the first place? Nothing to do with the current vibe of the conversation though but one could criticize M$ none the less.

    7. Re: Oh, come on. by TuringTest · · Score: 2

      one could genuinely ask why does a spreadsheet need such levels of scripting complexity

      Why wouldn't it? Spreadsheets are functional business-oriented IDEs. Wouldn't you like that your IDE is scriptable?

      --
      Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
    8. Re: Oh, come on. by jedidiah · · Score: 1

      Nice slippery slope you're building there. You can't talk about illegal activity because it will be presumed you are encouraging it.

      Sometimes you want to AVOID the corner with the rug dealer.

      --
      A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
    9. Re: Oh, come on. by PoopJuggler · · Score: 1

      Especially if they're natural fiber rugs with no stain protection. That's just asking for trouble.

    10. Re: Oh, come on. by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      How about a proper link https://kodi.tv/download/849 and this https://mediaexperience.com/xb... and of course this http://kodi.wiki/view/Official.... I am sure most of you can do what ever you feel the need to do there in after.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    11. Re: Oh, come on. by The+Snowman · · Score: 1

      What's an "M$"? Is that like a pirated version of Excel for retards like yourself?

      Penny Arcade explained this way back in 2002.

      --
      24 beers in a case, 24 hours in a day. Coincidence? I think not!
    12. Re: Oh, come on. by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

      Kodi's origins were in piracy, more or less. It was built from a pirated xbox SDK, distributed on thepiratebay, and didn't observe the GPL licensed mplayer that it was based on by not releasing the source.

  3. Consider Windows by John+Allsup · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Microsoft Windows is a legal operating system you can run on your PC, but it is possible to install add-ons which permit the user to download pirated content. Indeed Microsoft Windows is the most popular platform amongst software and media pirates. In addition, Microsoft does essentially nothing to prevent its operating system being used for piracy.

    --
    John_Chalisque
    1. Re:Consider Windows by Rockoon · · Score: 1

      That sort of thinking wont stop at windows.

      --
      "His name was James Damore."
    2. Re:Consider Windows by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

      I think you can say, with little debate, that Windows is the greatest enabler of media piracy for the masses ever created, aside from the internet itself.

    3. Re:Consider Windows by kamapuaa · · Score: 1

      The difference is that Windows is usually used for non-piracy related reasons. Meanwhile, there is just about zero reason to use Kodi for non-piracy related reasons.

      It's like bittorrent, or SNES emulators...sure people can use it for Linux distributions or their self-transferred SNES game files, but realistically they are both 99.9% used for piracy, and everybody knows it, and anybody who claims otherwise is being disingenuous because they want to make a point.

      --
      Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    4. Re:Consider Windows by tepples · · Score: 1

      Microsoft does essentially nothing to prevent its operating system being used for piracy.

      Of course it does. Windows Store in theory doesn't accept applications whose primary purpose is copyright infringement. Windows 10 S doesn't run applications obtained outside Windows Store. All that's left is to retire Windows 10 Home in favor of Windows 10 S.

  4. Right side of the law by thegarbz · · Score: 2

    Is there anything illegal about streaming content? Pretty much every case I've seen has centred around uploading or making available (the downside of torrenting). On a purely download / streaming basis has anyone actually ever been found guilty of copyright infringement?

    1. Re:Right side of the law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      It is now, in the UK.

      The law was unclear until recently. The Digital Economy Act was passed in April. It's one of those grab-bag laws which ended up covering a wide manner of essentially unrelated matters because so many MPs saw it as a chance to tack on their own amendments - it's got provisions relating to internet pornography, bulk purchasing of event tickets, subtitling requirements, contracted workers and a lot of other stuff. Burried in among all that is the section which clarifies that streaming copyrighted infringing material is illegal, even if no permanent copy is created. It also allows a ten year prison term for those found guilty of facilitating streaming - but that doesn't apply to those who only watch the stream. It's intended specifically for people who supply the software.

  5. Big deal detector set to max sensitivity by Hognoxious · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Big deal detector set to max sensitivity. Reading nothing. Flatline.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  6. Including all computer magazines by tomxor · · Score: 2

    seeing as computers have these addons called programs that can be used to pirate software... we know where this road goes, cars can be used by theives etc. FACT is a lie.

  7. Re:KODI has a blacklist now by Rockoon · · Score: 1

    I don 't know about any blacklist, but if it were to happen then the plugins would become the name-your-own-plugin plugins. Good luck blacklisting that sort of scenario.

    Kodi needs to deal with the fact that its not like those other media kits. Those other kits are locked down at least reasonably well. Kodi can never be locked down without becoming just like all the other media kits, and you can be sure it will then easily lose the locked-down competition to the already established players.

    The amount of "pirating" via Kodi is only going to increase. At some point there is going to be a legal showdown.

    --
    "His name was James Damore."
  8. Fact of life by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    There's always going to be some degree of sharing (that they want to demonize as 'piracy') no matter how draconian they get about it, and beyond a certain point it makes no sense to squeeze any tighter. Keep in mind that these people are of a mindset such that they get all anxious at the thought that someone might pay a rental fee for ONE copy of a movie, yet invite TEN or TWENTY people over to watch it, and they're not paying.

  9. here is what will happen with digital content by mapkinase · · Score: 2

    Privacy is gone. Say goodbye to it. ISPs will officially track "every link you click, every move you make". So, at this point, it is time to make lemonade from lemons and delegate content payment distribution on ISPs: we pay a fixed ISP fee we are paying now, no more, ISP determines the content we are watching and distributes the correponding portion to content owners.

    Whether you wanted or not, this is where it will be going.

    --
    I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
  10. Re:Sloppy Journalism. by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

    Once they start producing stuff worth watching, People may think about paying for it again..

  11. 10 M$ = "Microsoft" by tepples · · Score: 1

    M$ is a valid name for a string in older versions of the BASIC programming language. It's sometimes used as a nickname for Microsoft, which got its start as a publisher of BASIC interpreters for 8-bit home computers.

  12. SNES vs. NES for piracy by tepples · · Score: 1

    It's like bittorrent, or SNES emulators...sure people can use it for Linux distributions or their self-transferred SNES game files, but realistically they are both 99.9% used for piracy

    I notice you mentioned the Super NES as opposed to the original NES. Is this because of the healthy amateur game development scene on the NES compared to the lack of one on the Super NES?

  13. movies are culture by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

    Yay police state! Culture only for those who can pay! Fuck you, plebs, that's why!