Posted on 09/27/2016 5:25:54 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Selling 'fully loaded' Kodi boxes that can access subscription content for free could soon become illegal as a court case concerning the equipment is set to get under way.
Brian Thompson of Middlesbrough is accused of selling equipment that "facilitated the circumvention" of copyright protection rules.
The equipment mentioned refers to so-called 'fully loaded' boxes which use the increasingly popular Kodi open-source media centre software which brings together videos, music, games, and photos onto one platform.
Formerly known as Xbox Media Centre (XBMC) the software has been developed so it can now be used on several devices, including the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Apple TV, without those companies' official support.
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image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/00003b0a6/a6db_orh616w616/kodi-1.jpg
Kodi
By pre-loading set-top boxes with the software, some sellers are able to offer ready-to-use streaming devices, which customers can modify using third-party add-ons to gain access to pirated content or subscription-based services for free.
Sellers that provide these Kodi boxes with the third-party software pre-installed are said to be providing 'fully loaded' boxes.
In the upcoming court case, brought by Middlesbrough Council, Thompson is accused of providing this type of equipment to his customers, and has not entered a plea.
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Speaking to the Gazette Live, he stated that he doesn't consider the boxes to be illegal and intends to challenge the charges, which follow an 18 month investigation.
Kodi developers have made clear on numerous occasions that they do not support piracy extensions or add-ons, and say they maintain a "neutral stance on what users do with their own software".
The impending court case will be the first time legal scrutiny will be applied to an application such as Kodi in the UK.
A date for the trial is expected to be set today.
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Yup. Same here. Most of my friends, even here in the biz, use it. Only chumps pay subscription.
I haven’t plugged it into my computer (and don’t plan to) and I’m not aware that TV viruses are a significant concern. Oh, great... now I’m starting to worry about it.
The good news is that the guy I bought my stick from is one of my coworkers so I can get my questions answered pretty easily. The bad news is that he’s 6’5” and trains MMA so if I have a problem I can’t be “assertive” in seeking a remedy. LOL
Kodi simply plays audio and video from the sources you designate - there’s no “pre-loaded” streaming video unless someone configured it that way. It’s just a Linux media player. You can make *legal* .mp4 copies of your DVDs and have your movie and TV library on one portable hard drive (or even a big flash drive).
Just like post 7, it’s pretty much Pandora’s Box without the horrors. You can get anything available on the web. Even my MLB TV is there. Subscription is for chumps.
What do you define as rightful use?
You know what I hate?
Jerry Jones charging me $75 to park in a parking lot paid for with taxpayer dollars.
Load Kodi on a $70 device, install the Fusion repository, launch the Hubwizard
Can I play leave it to beaver reruns on demand?
If I watch a PBS show on Kodi with a paid internet connection and I fund PBS with tax dollars and it is broadcast freely on the airwaves.
How is ripping off who?
I watched the debate last night on PBS on the airwaves.
Kodi feed was crap.
Streaming is the future.
Lawyers are just trying to figure out how to screw us.
When I was A kid they had a thing called fair usage.
It aint like we are sneaking into the theater.
4 later
And I like Pirates, Yarr Harggh!
Oh they have to pay a fee to speak?
Jump through hoops? Pay payola? Kiss some butt?
Not necessarily. All a Kodi is, is a streaming device. True, illegal streaming can be watched on it, but there is a TON of free, legal streams that can be watched on it. For example, TWIT TV ( a streaming channel with Leo Laporte that has a variety of programs concerning tech and computers), Sky TV news out of Britain, YouTube channels - I live overseas and was able to watch the debate through Fox's live stream on Youtube.
At the time of Radio Caroline, BBC only allowed 20 mins of popular music a day.
Pirates blanketed then off the coast.
The Brit Gov went mad with regulation.
Gotta get them cricket scores...
We invaded Britian first. Transmitters were made in Tx and outfitted in Galvelston if I am correct
Just as a legal vehicle can be used in the commission of an illegal crime.
Smart ass kids rigged old junker boats and put transmitters on them and parked them in international waters.
This is all we are dealing with.
The dinosaurs just wont die.
Hate to be a buzzkill here. It’s ILLEGAL to pirate content. If you think you’re taking the high road by not enriching leftist hollywood goons by not paying for their content, you are stealing from them using the service to watch their product.
As one who deals with copyright and software issues piracy, by any other name (napster, viooz, bitcloud,) is theft and I am hurt badly by pirated content. Not cool.
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