Alleged Streaming Video Pirate Execs Indicted
Alleged Streaming Video Pirate Execs Indicted
The wheels of justice grind slowly, it’s been said, but they grind exceedingly fine. We don’t know if this is true in all cases, but it does seem to be true for illegal video streaming services. Pirate video may soon become a thing of the past.
Who did it (allegedly)?
The long nose of the law finally caught up with the principals of JetFlix and IStreamItAll. JF and ISIA are streaming video platforms that charge for access to copyrighted TV shows and movies. These firms allegedly hadn’t obtained consent to retransmit the content, and hadn’t paid for it.
The U.S Department of Justice announced on August 27 that it had obtained grand jury indictments against eight JetFlix and ISIA executives. The defendant list includes Darryl Julius Polo, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, Peter Huber, Kristopher Lee Dallmann, Jared Edward Jarequi, Yoany Vallaint, and Luis Angel Villarino. All face charges of conspiring to violate copyright law.
Dallmann and Polo face additional charges. These include money laundering, criminal copyright infringement by public performance, and criminal copyright infringement by reproduction or distribution. Every charge could bring a prison sentence.
What was the problem?
JetFlix is based in Las Vegas. It allegedly offered discount access to copyrighted TV series. It once claimed that it carried more than 18,000 episodes.
Polo, once a JetFlix employee, left it to found IStreamItAll. The DoJ alleges that ISIA once claimed that it carries more content than Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, NetFlix, and Vudu.
Both firms designed their platforms to work with many devices. These include gaming consoles, smart phones, and streaming media players. JetFlix allegedly acquired its content through Torrentz, the Pirate Bay, and other video piracy websites. The DoJ also says JetFlix used automated computer code to find new content. ISIA employed similar methods in most respects. It also allegedly carried movies that weren’t yet legally available outside of theaters.
Both services are said to have been enabling illegal downloads of pirated video, not just streaming.
Do these indictments signal that the DoJ is serious about cracking down on video piracy? Time will tell.
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