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News

Anti-piracy campaign for Ireland

Copyright protection body FACT and Crimestoppers have teamed up to launch a new campaign across Ireland , encouraging the public to share information about illegal streaming activities in their communities .

Running over six weeks on Facebook and Instagram , the campaign aims to gather intelligence on individuals or groups involved in advertising or selling illegal streaming subscriptions , modified firesticks or so called ‘ dodgy boxes ’.
FACT notes that digital piracy is a serious crime , often run by organised criminal groups . Information provided anonymously to Crimestoppers will be thoroughly investigated by FACT and could lead to further actions , including prosecution .
Those involved in providing illegal streaming services or ‘ dodgy box ’ operations face severe consequences . In August 2024 ,
Ciaran Donovan from Kildare was sentenced to 16 months in prison for running King Kong Media , an operation that provided illegal access codes for pay-per-view subscription TV channels such as Sky Sports . Additionally , on August 13th , two brothers , Amir Butt and Ammar Hussain , received a combined total of 11 years in prison for operating an illegal streaming service .
The initiative is part of an ongoing commitment to combat illegal streaming ( which includes movies , television , and live sporting events ) in Ireland and protect consumers from the risks associated with illegal streaming , such as malware , identity theft , and financial loss .
“ This campaign is an important step in our ongoing efforts to combat illegal streaming in Ireland ,” stated
Kieron Sharp , FACT CEO . “ By working with Crimestoppers , we aim to empower communities to act against digital piracy and protect themselves from the associated risks .”
“ Digital piracy is not a victimless crime . It often funds organised criminal groups and poses significant risks to consumers . We urge everyone to come forward with information , knowing that their anonymity is guaranteed .”
A Crimestoppers spokesperson said : “ Using or providing illegal streams is dangerous for the consumer in terms of exposing them to scammers , and for those profiteering , they can pay a heavy price of time behind bars .”
“ Piracy ( illicit streaming ) is a crime . The dangers to the family home are real for those who take the risk of using these criminal services . We should all pay our way fairly . Speak up if you know about the criminals involved . You ’ ll be helping to protect people from putting themselves in danger .”
Max to stream CNN International in Europe
Max , Warner Bros Discovery ’ s
streaming platform , is to offer 24 / 7
news with the launch of the CNN
International live channel feed in 22
European countries across Spain ,
Nordics , Belgium , Netherlands
and Central and Eastern Europe .
CNN International arrives on
Max in Europe as the world ’ s
attention turns to this year ’ s hugely
significant US election .
Ahead of election day on
November 5th , Max subscribers
will be able to follow every twist
and turn on the campaign trail
during the final critical weeks of
the race to the White House . This
includes coverage of the ABC
News Presidential Debate between
former President
Donald Trump and
Vice President Kamala
Harris .
Over the coming
weeks and months
CNN International will
continue to deliver what
the broadcaster describes
as unrivalled in-depth
coverage from across the United
States in the race for the presidency
and shed light on the crucial
contests that will determine the
balance in the House and Senate .
The launch follows earlier
launches of CNN International on
Max in France and Poland in June .
Max is available in 65 countries
and territories globally across the
US , Latin America , the Caribbean ,
and Europe . Max arrives in key
Southeast Asia countries later this
year .
Disney + ad-tier expanding in Europe
Following the launch of its
ad-supported plan in Denmark ,
France , Germany , Italy , Norway ,
Spain , Sweden , Switzerland and
the UK in 2023 , Disney + will
expand its offerings to Finland , the Netherlands and Portugal this October .
“ The strong momentum of our ad-supported plan , following its launch last year , underscores the importance of providing consumers with choice , flexibility , and value ,” commented Deborah Armstrong , SVP media networks and advertising EMEA . “ As we expand into additional markets , Disney + continues to offer advertisers a prime opportunity to engage with our premium-streaming platform , featuring our beloved brands and an exceptional line-up of movies and TV series . We have enhanced our capabilities and are experiencing positive responses to date , including establishing a diverse range of partnerships with L ’ Oréal Paris , which is sponsoring [ Season
5 ] of The Kardashians ; Uber One , which is collaborating with FX on The Bear in the UK ; and Chloé fragrances , which is supporting the French original Becoming Karl Lagerfeld across five countries .”
Titles coming soon to Disney + include ABC ’ s Doctor Odyssey from Ryan Murphy , A second season of FX ’ s The Old Man , Road Diary : Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band , and Lucasfilm ’ s next Star Wars series Star Wars : Skeleton Crew .
Starting October 17th , consumers in the aforementioned countries can choose from the following features in the ‘ Standard with Ads ’ plan , alongside the ‘ Standard ’ and ‘ Premium ’ plans .
6 EUROMEDIA