Hollywood Sues Pirate IPTV Services & YouTuber for Millions

Major Hollywood studios, including Amazon, Netflix, Disney, Paramount, and Apple, have launched a new legal offensive against operators of unverified IPTV services.

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a leading anti-piracy group, has filed lawsuits aiming to shut down IPTV services and collect damages that could reach millions of dollars.

Shrugs and Zing IPTV Lawsuit

The first lawsuit, filed in Pennsylvania, accuses Brandon Weibley of operating multiple pirate IPTV brands. This includes names like Shrugs and Zing, Beast Mode Live, BTV, Viking Media, GreenWing Media, and others.

According to court documents, Weibley has been involved in unauthorized streaming services since 2017, selling access to thousands of TV channels, live sports, and on-demand content.

Investigators linked him to these services through a personal email address found in subscriber invoices.

ACE initially issued a cease-and-desist letter in December 2023, but rather than shutting down, Weibley rebranded his services under new domain names and continued operating.

The lawsuit alleges that his IPTV services now provide access to over 9,000 pirated channels featuring popular movies and TV shows, including The Boys, The Witcher, Moana, Forrest Gump, Back to the Future, and Wonder Woman.

With potential penalties of up to $150,000 per copyrighted work, the damages sought in this case could total millions. The plaintiffs are requesting a permanent injunction to shut down the IPTV services and prevent further infringement.

You can view the official lawsuit documentation (PDF) for more details.

Outer Limits IPTV Lawsuit

In California, a second lawsuit targets Zachary DeBarr, who is accused of operating Outer Limits IPTV.

The complaint states that DeBarr has been involved in IPTV piracy since 2017, initially selling modified Fire TV Sticks and reselling subscriptions to Nitro TV and Glitch TV.

In 2020, he launched his own IPTV platform, offering access to over 4,000 live channels, 13,000 movies, and 3,000 TV series for prices ranging from $20 per month to $200 per year.

A key piece of evidence cited in the lawsuit is DeBarr’s iTrustStream YouTube channel, which has over 100,000 subscribers. The complaint alleges that DeBarr actively promoted his IPTV service through his YouTube videos, some of which remain online.

Before taking legal action, ACE attempted to contact DeBarr multiple times through phone calls, emails, and in-person visits, but he did not respond.

The lawsuit now seeks an injunction to shut down the service and statutory damages that could add up to millions of dollars.

You can view the official lawsuit documentation (PDF) for more details.

What This Means for IPTV Users

These lawsuits serve as a warning to those using unverified IPTV services. If a provider is shut down, subscribers can lose access without notice.

While legal alternatives such as YouTube TV and FuboTV remain available, rising subscription prices continue to push users toward cheaper, unauthorized options.

With ACE ramping up enforcement, the crackdown on pirate IPTV services is expected to continue.

For more information on this story, refer to ACE’s press release and the report from TorrentFreak.

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