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Tickbox Must Remove Pirate Streaming Add-ons From Sold Devices (torrentfreak.com)
TickBox TV, the company behind a Kodi-powered streaming device, must release a new software updater that will remove copyright-infringing addons from previously shipped devices. A California federal court issued an updated injunction in the lawsuit that was filed by several major Hollywood studios, Amazon, and Netflix, which will stay in place while both parties fight out their legal battle. TorrentFreak reports: Last year, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), an anti-piracy partnership between Hollywood studios, Netflix, Amazon, and more than two dozen other companies, filed a lawsuit against the Georgia-based company Tickbox TV, which sells Kodi-powered set-top boxes that stream a variety of popular media. ACE sees these devices as nothing more than pirate tools so the coalition asked the court for an injunction to prevent Tickbox from facilitating copyright infringement, demanding that it removes all pirate add-ons from previously sold devices. Last month, a California federal court issued an initial injunction, ordering Tickbox to keep pirate addons out of its box and halt all piracy-inducing advertisements going forward. In addition, the court directed both parties to come up with a proper solution for devices that were already sold.
The new injunction prevents Tickbox from linking to any "build," "theme," "app," or "addon" that can be indirectly used to transmit copyright-infringing material. Web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox are specifically excluded. In addition, Tickbox must also release a new software updater that will remove any infringing software from previously sold devices. All tiles that link to copyright-infringing software from the box's home screen also have to be stripped. Going forward, only tiles to the Google Play Store or to Kodi within the Google Play Store are allowed. In addition, the agreement also allows ACE to report newly discovered infringing apps or addons to Tickbox, which the company will then have to remove within 24-hours, weekends excluded.
The new injunction prevents Tickbox from linking to any "build," "theme," "app," or "addon" that can be indirectly used to transmit copyright-infringing material. Web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox are specifically excluded. In addition, Tickbox must also release a new software updater that will remove any infringing software from previously sold devices. All tiles that link to copyright-infringing software from the box's home screen also have to be stripped. Going forward, only tiles to the Google Play Store or to Kodi within the Google Play Store are allowed. In addition, the agreement also allows ACE to report newly discovered infringing apps or addons to Tickbox, which the company will then have to remove within 24-hours, weekends excluded.
First, this is incredibly draconian and a significant escalation of anti-piracy abuses. However, Kodi is GPL software, and would require modification to block some add-ons. The question is, will they release the modified source that blocks some types of add-ons?
The real question is how much money they're being paid
That is the question for sure! But it doesn't really matter how much. What matters is that they are in fact being paid by the open infringers. So they get this smackdown and have to play nice now, under supervision.
The lesson is: Plausible deniability has to be plausible. Without it, you get an injunction.
Their website used to say this on the front page
Question:
What TV shows and movies can I see for free?
Answer:
You can see almost every movie and TV series ever made. You can even access movies and shows that are still on Demand and episodes of TV that were just aired. You will never pay to watch any of them.
Enjoy watching complete seasons of almost every television series ever created, including those from the premium cable movie channels and subscription services.
Relax with some popcorn and catch the latest hollywood blockbuster from the comfort of your own home without paying a rental fee. Also included - Sidetick.TV!
Live stream over 50,000 live radio stations or access full albums from your favorite recording artist... finally cancel your spotify or satellite radio subscription saving hundred of dollars a year!
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https://web.archive.org/web/20...
Many, many companies already remove paid for features without a court order and don't get in any trouble, so I doubt ones that have a court order are worried. (Sure Sony got in trouble, but it was pretty minor trouble, and they're in the definite minority actually losing anything at all)
Long gone are the days when you can expect to have all the functionality you paid for in a product, or have any ownership rights at all after forking over your money. You get whatever the company feels like giving you, and that can change at ANY time. Don't like it? tough, you don't matter. (I mean "vote with your wallet" and go to the competition, where usually there is no competition, and if there is, they probably do exactly the same thing anyway)
The text of the injunction
https://www.scribd.com/documen...
is an interested read, including multiple screen captures and the discussion that follows is fascinating, alleging that they may be responsible for copyright violation
"In Fung, the Ninth Circuit analyzed Grokster and held that a defendant may be held liable for copyright infringement under Grokster ’s inducement theory where four elements are present: “(1) the distribution of a device or product [by the defendant], (2) acts of infringement [by third parties], (3) an object [of the defendant] of promoting [the device’s or product’s] use to infringe copyright, and (4) causation. Fung , 710 F.3d at 1032"
The #3 above may get them in.
4wdloop