LOS ANGELES (August 20, 2019) — The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has obtained a permanent injunction from the Federal Court in Canada against Vader Streams, a major purveyor of unauthorized film and television content. ACE achieved full suspension of Vader Streams’ operations, and the piracy outfit was ordered to pay $10 million in damages.
Vader Streams was a key part of a complicated, IPTV piracy network, which until recently was feeding more than 200 dealers of illicit content with unauthorized access to 1,300 live streaming television channels and a library of up to 2,400 movies and 350 television shows. The unauthorized television streams included live events, sports, pay-per-view, and premium pay channels. Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) refers to the delivery of programming via internet protocol (IP) networks, one of the foundations of the legal streaming economy when content is properly licensed.
“On behalf of all ACE members, I applaud the Court’s decision to permanently put an end to piracy operations conducted by Vader Streams,” said Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America. “Actions like these can help reduce piracy and promote a dynamic, legal marketplace for creative content that provides audiences with more choices than ever before, while supporting millions of jobs in the film and television industry.”
The injunction issued by the Federal Court in Canada requires Vader Streams to:
- Cede administrative control over the entire Vader piracy infrastructure.
- Permanently cease and desist from developing, operating, promoting, or selling subscriptions to unauthorized or unlicensed piracy feeds of any kind.
- Permanently cease and desist from developing, updating, hosting, or promoting Kodi add-ons or repositories that enable access to pirated content.
“Today is a significant achievement for ACE in our ongoing efforts to protect the creative content of our members,” said Jan Van Voorn, Executive Vice President and Chief of Global Content Protection at the Motion Picture Association of America. “ACE is committed to an all-of-the-above approach to reduce the theft and illegal distribution of films and television programs. This enforcement action is one of the many legal and operational tools ACE deploys to protect the legitimate market for creative content.”
“This strong and appropriate action by the Federal Court is a clear demonstration that the Canadian legal system is prepared to take the necessary steps to combat content theft,” said Robert Malcolmson, Senior Vice President Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations, Bell Canada. “Illegal streaming services like Vader Streams cause serious harm to creators and distributors, the entire broadcasting and cultural sectors and ultimately Canadian consumers.”
The Court’s Order concerning Vader Streams continues ACE’s successful enforcement actions that are directly addressing the threat from piracy device sellers and illegal streaming applications and services. These include legal victories in the TickBox and Dragon Box cases, and the shutdown of numerous piracy applications and add-ons.
About ACE
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (“ACE”) is a global coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal market and reducing online piracy. The worldwide members of ACE are Amazon, AMC Networks, BBC Worldwide, Bell Canada and Bell Media, Canal+ Group, CBS Corporation, Channel 5, Constantin Film, Discovery, Foxtel, Grupo Globo, HBO, Hulu, Lionsgate, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Millennium Media, NBC Universal, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, SF Studios, Sky, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Star India, Studio Babelsberg, STX Entertainment, Telefe, Telemundo, Televisa, Univision Communications Inc., Village Roadshow, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
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