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Man jailed for 3 years after loading illicit TV streaming services onto Amazon Fire Stick

Man jailed for 3 years after loading illicit TV streaming services onto Amazon Fire Stick

Those internet piracy ads weren't lying

We're always told as kids that crime doesn't pay, but when it comes to murder or trafficking drugs, they’re in a different league to pirating episodes of The Boys.

However, one man has been jailed for three years, all over the crime of loading illicit streaming services onto Amazon Fire Sticks.

While we once turned on the TV and watched what we wanted or recorded it onto VHS to watch another day (if you're that old), the rise of streaming services has led to a subscription war. We now have to juggle monthly charges for Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, and more.

Each of these streaming giants tries to force you to part with your cash, and with them refusing to join forces, there's no all-in-one service that gives you everything you want to watch. This has led to a rise in piracy, with some using jailbroken Amazon Fire Sticks to offer a bit of everything.

Jonathan Edge was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court (Merseyside Police)
Jonathan Edge was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court (Merseyside Police)

A 29-year-old man in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

His sentencing comes after he pleaded guilty to three offenses under the Fraud Act, with a separate concurrent sentence of two years and three months for accessing and viewing the illicit content he was supplying to others.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Jonathan Edge used Facebook and word-of-mouth to advertise the operation - Accepting cash-in-hand payments at his home, he uploaded illegal services to Fire Sticks and then sold them to others.

Despite being warned about the illegal nature of his activities, Edge continued operating and was eventually prosecuted, brought forward by the Premier League and organizations including the Merseyside Police and FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft).

Speaking about the case, Kevin Plumb, Premier League general counsel, said: "The significant sentence handed down to the individual involved once again serves to highlight the severity of his actions.

"We will continue to pursue legal action against those supplying unauthorised access to Premier League football, regardless of the scale or mode of operation. Ignoring warnings to stop only served to make the consequences worse for the individual."

While many might not think of illegally streaming as a reason to land them behind bars, Detective Sergeant Steve Frame from Merseyside Police warned it's a crime that's on the rise: "Merseyside Police is committed to working in collaboration to investigate intellectual property theft and we welcome today's sentence handed to Edge.

Authorities are trying to crack down on streaming piracy (Nathan Stirk / Contributor / Getty)
Authorities are trying to crack down on streaming piracy (Nathan Stirk / Contributor / Getty)

"Many people see no harm in illegally streaming TV services but they are wrong, and this outcome should serve as a further warning how seriously such copyright theft continues to be taken."

When the story was shared on Reddit, some noted that Edge was seemingly jailed for not paying tax on his money earned. Someone in the comments wrote: "One offense is extremely easy to prosecute because the laws are very clear and cut and dried (taxes).

"The other is very murky. Copyright laws, especially when you cross international borders, are a mess and difficult to truly enforce. Just look at how long it took to nail Kim Dotcom for Megaupload (your opinions on that notwithstanding).

"Sh*t, even Al Capone was never indicted on murder or any other charges, he went to jail for tax evasion."

Still, with authorities looking to crack down on those trying to circumnavigate the barriers of streaming services, cases like Edge's prove that those anti-piracy ads might not be as dated as they look.

Featured Image Credit: Merseyside Police / Wang Yukun / Getty