Names and addresses of over 300 users of ‘dodgy box’ users will be handed over to Sky in efforts to clamp down on illegal streaming, the Irish High Court has heard.
Justice Brian Cregan granted an order that Revolut Bank UAB must provide details of 304 subscribers as well as details of 10 resellers.
The decision followed Sky launching a civil action against Revolut, after the subscribers used the banking app to pay re-sellers of pirated content.
It is a move that opens up those watching Premier League football illegally through ‘dodgy boxes’ and ‘dodgy Fire Sticks’ to being identified and prosecuted.
Sky had sought a Norwich Pharmacal order, which allows information to be obtained from third parties who have become ‘mixed up’ in wrongdoing.
Theo Donnelly, representing Sky, told the High Court that the information would be used to take legal action against resellers and some of the users.
Names and addresses of over 300 dodgy box users will be handed over to Sky in efforts to clamp down on illegal streaming
Broadcasters have been seeking to take legal action against illegal streamers and resellers
Revolut counsel John Freeman said his client was neutral on the Sky application.
Sky’s action came as the result of a civil prosecution against Wexford resident David Dunbar.
Dunbar was found last year to have operated an illegal streaming service, with payments made to his Revolut account. He was ordered to pay Sky €480,000 (£415,000) in damages and €100,000 (£86,000) in costs. Dunbar was fined a further €30,000 (£26,000) for contempt over a breach of court orders to preserve data.
Sky established that there had been 12 resellers and 304 users transferring sums to Dunbar by Revolut, leading to the company seeking details from the banking app.
Proceedings had already been issued against two of the 12 resellers, the court heard.
Information on the Irish dodgy box users is set to be handed over to Sky on an encrypted spreadsheet within 28 days.
Many UK-based illegal streaming accounts utilise feeds from Irish Sky boxes, Daily Mail Sport understands.
‘Dodgy boxes’ and illegal Fire Sticks are streaming devices that have third-party software installed in them, allowing users to watch premium content from providers such as TNT Sports, Sky Sports and Disney+ for free.
The use of these devices is deemed a ‘serious crime’, and police forces across the UK and Ireland, alongside the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), have been targeting individuals who continue to watch unauthorised content.
Sky, who pay billions to the Premier League to show matches, also have their own in-house piracy team.
Police have warned that the purchasing of Fire Sticks and dodgy boxes ‘often helps fund organised crime’, and the streaming software installed on the devices often leads to personal information becoming compromised, including banking details.
