68 Year Old IPTV Operator Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison

A 68-year-old man has been sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for operating an illegal IPTV service that generated over $1 million in revenue.

Milan Ibrahim of Chorley, England, was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud after authorities determined that he operated an extensive IPTV service supplying customers in the UK and around the world.

According to the City of London Police, the operation generated £980,812 (approximately $1.3 million) over a three-year period and relied on a massive network of 80 servers.

80 Servers Used to Operate IPTV Service

The investigation was conducted by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at the City of London Police after the service was initially identified and referred to authorities by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT).

Investigators say Ibrahim captured and redistributed programming belonging to several major broadcasters and rights holders, including:

• BBC
• ITV
• Sky
• Premier League
• Motion Picture Association

The content was converted into formats suitable for IPTV streaming and subscriptions were then sold to customers throughout the UK and overseas.

Authorities noted that the service particularly targeted British expatriates living outside the country.

Police discovered 80 servers operating from premises in Chorley, all of which were seized and shut down during enforcement activity.

Ibrahim will now face additional proceedings under the UK’s Proceeds of Crime Act, which could allow authorities to recover money generated from the IPTV business.

Another Major IPTV Piracy Conviction

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen substantial prison sentences handed down to those selling unauthorized IPTV subscriptions in the UK.

However, a 6.5-year sentence is certainly significant, especially when compared to many of the civil lawsuits, fines, domain seizures, and service shutdowns that typically make headlines in the IPTV world.

Stefan Sergot, Director of Legal Enforcement at the Premier League, described the service as one of the UK’s “most prominent and long-standing suppliers of pirate services.”

FACT, Sky, BBC Studios, and the Premier League all issued statements following the sentencing praising the investigation and warning other IPTV operators of the potential consequences.

Stefan Sergot – Director of Legal Enforcement at the Premier League noted:

This is a significant outcome against one of the UK’s most prominent and long-standing suppliers of pirate services. Milan Ibrahim repeatedly sold content belonging to the Premier League and other rights holders for his own financial gain. His sentence reflects the seriousness of his offending and sends a clear message that those who profit from piracy will ultimately be held accountable.

The case also provides another example of the resources being devoted to IPTV enforcement. Rather than simply shutting down the servers, authorities conducted a criminal investigation that ultimately resulted in a lengthy prison sentence and forthcoming attempts to seize the profits.

What About IPTV Subscribers?

Whenever an IPTV service is seized, one of the biggest questions is what happens to customer information stored on the servers.

Police confirmed that all 80 servers were seized, but the City of London Police announcement does not say whether subscriber information was obtained or whether customers will face any action.

BleepingComputer points out that seized servers could potentially help authorities identify customers, although no such action has been announced in this particular case.

This is another reason we continually warn TROYPOINT visitors about handing over personal information and payment details to unknown streaming operators.

Final Thoughts/Notes

IPTV enforcement continues to play a vital role in the landscape, especially for those operating/running these types of services.

A 6.5-year prison sentence and the seizure of 80 servers make this one of the more notable IPTV enforcement cases we’ve covered recently.

We’ll keep an eye on this case and report back if authorities release additional information about the service, its customers, or other details.

This article was originally published by the City of London Police.

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