Dish Network Sues 'ZemTV' and "TVAddons" for Copyright Infringement

[Jai Dee]

American satellite and broadcast provider Dish Network has filed a lawsuit against Kodi add-on ZemTV and TVAddons.ag, the largest add-on library. The complaint accuses ZemTV of direct copyright infringement of various TV channels. TVAddons is liable for distributing the addon in question, according to the complaint.

 

 

More and more people are starting to use Kodi-powered set-top boxes to stream video content to their TVs. While Kodi itself is a neutral platform, third-party add-ons can turn it into the ultimate pirate machine, providing access to movies, TV-shows and IPTV channels.

 

These add-ons are direct competition for traditional broadcast providers, such as Dish Network in the United States, which filed a lawsuit in a Texas federal court late last week. The complaint lists the add-on ZemTV as the prime target. The service in question allows users to watch a variety of Dish channels, without permission. “The ZemTV service is retransmitting these channels over the Internet to end-users that download the ZemTV add-on for the Kodi media player, which is available for download at the websites www.tvaddons.ag and www.tvaddons.org,” Dish’s lawyers write.

 

The TVAddons platform, which hosts hundreds of unofficial Kodi add-ons including ZemTV, is also listed as a defendant. According to Dish, TVAddons plays an important role in the distribution of the infringing add-on. The ZemTV operator, who is only known as “Shani” and “Shani_08,” used the TVAddons platform to share and promote its service while asking for donations, the complaint alleges.

 

“Website Operators have actual or constructive knowledge of this infringing activity and materially contribute to that activity by providing the forum where the ZemTV add-on can be downloaded and soliciting and accepting donations from ZemTV users,” Dish writes.

 

“But for the availability of the ZemTV add-on at www.tvaddons.ag or www.tvaddons.org, most if not all of Developer’s distribution and/or public performance would not occur,” the complaint adds. Dish claims that it sent numerous takedown requests to Internet service providers associated with the ZemTV service, but the developer has continued to offer the add-on, circumventing any countermeasures. With the lawsuit, the broadcast provider holds ZemTV accountable for direct copyright infringement, demanding $150,000 per infringement in damages. TVAddons is accused of contributory and vicarious copyright infringement and also faces statutory damages.

 

TorrentFreak spoke to a representative from TVAddons, who wasn’t aware of the lawsuit. Dish has not contacted them directly with any takedown requests, he says. “This is the first we’ve heard of this lawsuit. No one ever sent us any type of takedown or DMCA notice or even tried to contact us prior, they could have easily done so through our contact page or site emails,” TVAddons informs us. TVAddons says that the ZemTV add-on was already removed prior to the lawsuit due to a technical issue, and it won’t return.

 

“The Zem addon was actually removed from our addon library and community tools weeks ago due to a completely unrelated technical issue. I have already spoken to the developer, and he has since deleted the Zem addon entirely,” the TVAddons representative says.

 

Also, shortly after we started to inquire about the lawsuit, the ZemTV add-on appears to have shut down completely. Developer “Shani” says it became too popular to maintain, but the legal threat likely played a role as well.

The lawsuit against ZemTV and TVAddons is the first of its kind in the United States. As such, it will be closely watched by other rightsholders, add-on developers, and platforms similar to TVAddons that distribute software.

 

Read the full story here.

[Jai Dee]

Dish Network slammed with $280 million fine for illegal robocalls

 

June 7 (UPI) -- Satellite TV provider Dish Network will have to pay $280 million for violating National Do Not Call Registry laws by making millions of illegal robocalls, the U.S. Justice Department announced.

A Federal Trade Commission investigation found that Dish Network violated the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule by hiring telemarketing companies to call potential subscribers who were on the National Do Not Call list.

 

"Dish's reckless decision to use anyone with a call center without any vetting or meaningful supervision demonstrates a disregard for the consuming public," wrote Judge Sue E. Myerscough of the Central District of Illinois, where the five-month trial was held.

 

Myerscough said the $280 million penalty was warranted because "Dish caused millions and millions of violations of the Do Not Call Laws, and Dish has minimized the significance of its own errors in direct telemarketing and steadfastly denied any responsibility for the actions of its [retailers]. The injury to consumers, the disregard for the law, and the steadfast refusal to accept responsibility require a significant and substantial monetary award."

 

Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen echoed Myerscough's opinion about the penalty amount. "The outcome of this case shows companies will pay a hefty price for violating consumers' privacy with unwanted calls," she said.

 

Read the full story from United Press International here.

[Jai Dee]

TVAddons Returns, But in Ugly War With Canadian Telcos Over Kodi Addons

 

August 1, 2017

 

Bell Canada, TVA, Videotron, and Rogers are collectively suing Kodi addon repository TVAddons, TorrentFreak can reveal. The lawsuit targets TVAddons' operator for the alleged unlawful distribution of Kodi software addons. It's fair to say that thus far, this process has revealed some of the most shocking abuses of power ever seen in an online copyright infringement case.

 

 

After Dish Network filed a lawsuit against TVAddons in Texas, several high-profile Kodi addons took the decision to shut down. Soon after, TVAddons itself went offline.

In the weeks that followed, several TVAddons-related domains were signed over to a Canadian law firm, a mysterious situation that didn’t dovetail well with the US-based legal action.

TorrentFreak can now reveal that the shutdown of TVAddons had nothing to do with the US action and everything to do with a separate lawsuit filed in Canada.

 

Read the full story here.