What is a Kodi box?Kodi, formerly known as XBMC, is a free and open source media player application for playing videos, music, pictures, games, and other content.
A Kodi Box, advertised for its ‘Plug and Play’ capacity, is essentially a set-top box or a HDMI stick with the software installed on it.
It works on almost any platform such as a computer, smartphone, tablet or set-top box and streams media from local and network storage or the internet.
The software itself isn’t illegal but it’s against the law to buy a Kodi box that has already been loaded with third-party add-onsWhat is the Digital Economy Bill and are Kodi boxes legal to use in the UK?The Kodi software itself isn’t illegal.
But some boxes are being modified to receive digital TV subscription channels for free using third party plug-ins, and this is illegal.
It is also against the law to sell on devices which bypass subscription services to access pay-to-view TV such as movies and sports.
The government have issued its clearest guidance yet on what will get people streaming illegal content put in prison.
Anthony Joshua and Wladmir Klitchsko are fighting on pay-per-view which people can access free with Kodi boxesWhat has a European court ruled on the use of Kodi boxes?Selling a device which has been “fully loaded” to allow people to watch pirate films or sports events is ILLEGAL, the highest court in Europe has now ruled.
In a document, the European Court of Justice sided against Dutch man Mr Willems, who sold multimedia players through a website.
That means anyone selling a box which is intended to be used to infringe copyright will be treated as if they have infringed copyright themselves, and could be put behind bars.
It is widely believed that streaming material instead of downloading means you aren’t infringing copyright, but in this case the European Court said there was no difference between the two.
What are the penalties for misuse?The Digital Economy Bill, which was made law on April 27, increased the punishment for those using the boxes for illegal means.
Penalties for those torrent users found breaking the law increased from two years to 10 years.
There are already penalties for those selling on Kodi boxes pre-loaded with third party plug-ins.
What is the Digital Economy Bill?The bill, which was made law on April 27, will provide a universal broadband service for the UK, according to parliament.
It’s aimed at enabling fast digital communication services for citizens and businesses.
It will shape the digital world to the benefit of children, consumers and businesses and support the digital transformation of government.
The bill is good for consumers, as it grants additional powers to Ofcom in respect of information provision, consumer switching and automatic compensation.
But it will create a new Electronics Communication Code and other infrastructure matters.
It will put an end to easy-to-find porn and will put age verification on smutty sites.
Consumers will see protection from nuisance calls and digital intellectual property, too, which is where the Kodi crackdown comes into play.
How are the Premier League and Amazon cracking down?Amazon has now banned “fully loaded” box sets being sold on the site and vowed to freeze the accounts of anyone found to be breaking the rules.
The company released a statement saying: “Products offered for sale on Amazon should not promote, suggest the facilitation of, or actively enable the infringement of or unauthorised access to digital media or other protected content.
“Any streaming media player or other device that violates this policy is prohibited from sale on Amazon.”
The Sun Online also recently revealed how eBay had begun wiping “fully loaded” Kodi box sets from its online marketplace.
In February, police arrested five people accused of selling fully loaded Kodi boxes in a major crackdown on the devices, with a landmark case to face court in May.
Trader Brian Thompson has vowed to challenge Middlesborough Council’s decision to take him to court over Kodi box usage
A Kodi Box, advertised for its ‘Plug and Play’ capacity, is essentially a set-top box or a HDMI stick with the software installed on it.
It works on almost any platform such as a computer, smartphone, tablet or set-top box and streams media from local and network storage or the internet.
The software itself isn’t illegal but it’s against the law to buy a Kodi box that has already been loaded with third-party add-onsWhat is the Digital Economy Bill and are Kodi boxes legal to use in the UK?The Kodi software itself isn’t illegal.
But some boxes are being modified to receive digital TV subscription channels for free using third party plug-ins, and this is illegal.
It is also against the law to sell on devices which bypass subscription services to access pay-to-view TV such as movies and sports.
The government have issued its clearest guidance yet on what will get people streaming illegal content put in prison.
Anthony Joshua and Wladmir Klitchsko are fighting on pay-per-view which people can access free with Kodi boxesWhat has a European court ruled on the use of Kodi boxes?Selling a device which has been “fully loaded” to allow people to watch pirate films or sports events is ILLEGAL, the highest court in Europe has now ruled.
In a document, the European Court of Justice sided against Dutch man Mr Willems, who sold multimedia players through a website.
That means anyone selling a box which is intended to be used to infringe copyright will be treated as if they have infringed copyright themselves, and could be put behind bars.
It is widely believed that streaming material instead of downloading means you aren’t infringing copyright, but in this case the European Court said there was no difference between the two.
What are the penalties for misuse?The Digital Economy Bill, which was made law on April 27, increased the punishment for those using the boxes for illegal means.
Penalties for those torrent users found breaking the law increased from two years to 10 years.
There are already penalties for those selling on Kodi boxes pre-loaded with third party plug-ins.
What is the Digital Economy Bill?The bill, which was made law on April 27, will provide a universal broadband service for the UK, according to parliament.
It’s aimed at enabling fast digital communication services for citizens and businesses.
It will shape the digital world to the benefit of children, consumers and businesses and support the digital transformation of government.
The bill is good for consumers, as it grants additional powers to Ofcom in respect of information provision, consumer switching and automatic compensation.
But it will create a new Electronics Communication Code and other infrastructure matters.
It will put an end to easy-to-find porn and will put age verification on smutty sites.
Consumers will see protection from nuisance calls and digital intellectual property, too, which is where the Kodi crackdown comes into play.
How are the Premier League and Amazon cracking down?Amazon has now banned “fully loaded” box sets being sold on the site and vowed to freeze the accounts of anyone found to be breaking the rules.
The company released a statement saying: “Products offered for sale on Amazon should not promote, suggest the facilitation of, or actively enable the infringement of or unauthorised access to digital media or other protected content.
“Any streaming media player or other device that violates this policy is prohibited from sale on Amazon.”
The Sun Online also recently revealed how eBay had begun wiping “fully loaded” Kodi box sets from its online marketplace.
In February, police arrested five people accused of selling fully loaded Kodi boxes in a major crackdown on the devices, with a landmark case to face court in May.
Trader Brian Thompson has vowed to challenge Middlesborough Council’s decision to take him to court over Kodi box usage