Federal Court in Texas also orders transfer of current and future domains used for distribution of the ChitramTV service, or used to sell or promote the service
DENVER, Nov. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) today announced that on November 15, 2021, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas entered a Judgment and Injunction against ChitramTV, a popular South Asian pirate IPTV service. The Court found that ChitramTV willfully infringed 207 registered copyrighted works and imposed the maximum statutory penalty of $150,000 per work, $31,050,000 in total.
The Federal Court in Texas ordered registries and registrars to transfer current and future domains related to the operation and sales of the ChitramTV service, including domains used to sell or promote set-top boxes and subscriptions. Further, the injunction prohibits all resellers from distributing, selling, or promoting the ChitramTV service or any set-top boxes related to the service. Lastly, the Court enjoined all third-party providers such as hosting companies and CDNs from providing services to ChitramTV.
The lawsuit against ChitramTV was coordinated by IBCAP and filed in March 2021, by its member company, DISH Network, after numerous cease and desist notices were ignored. Today’s news follows IBCAP’s recent announcements of lawsuits against iStar IPTV service, DesiTV, and dealers of those services.
“We are very pleased with this legal victory as it will enable us and our members to shut down one of the most popular South Asian pirate services operating in the U.S. The injunctions imposed, along with the transfer of current and future domains associated with ChitramTV, will have a devastating effect on ChitramTV and any dealer selling ChitramTV,” said Chris Kuelling, executive director of IBCAP. “A dealer that continues to sell ChitramTV after receiving notice of the injunction will be in contempt of the Court’s order and liable for further damages. Dealers should be aware that it’s not worth risking their business by selling pirate IPTV services.”
A copy of the Court Order can be found here.
About International Broadcast Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP)
International Broadcast Coalition Against Piracy, Inc. is a coalition of leading international broadcasters and distributors representing more than 140 television channels from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America. IBCAP is the largest anti-piracy organization focused on multicultural content. The non-profit organization proactively monitors and identifies unauthorized video services, collects evidence, and assists with legal actions and criminal investigations against organizations and individuals engaging in pirate activities. IBCAP coordinates with government agencies and law enforcement both in the US and abroad, reports suspected infringers to the appropriate authorities, initiates investigations, and promotes the prosecution of persons or companies who participate in the illegal distribution of its members’ video content. More information is available at www.IBCAP.org. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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