2 Pirate IPTV Resellers Sued by DISH – Reseller Owes $30 Million

In recent months, DISH Network has filed separate lawsuits against two IPTV resellers, both of which appeared to be straightforward cases with predictable outcomes.

However, the results of these lawsuits have taken a surprising turn, with one reseller being ordered to pay $30 million in damages while the other had their case abruptly dismissed.

The Case Against Channels4Cheap and Purchase-IPTV

In November 2023, DISH Network sued Texas residents John Gwaka Magembe and Joyce Berry, the alleged operators of the IPTV reseller websites channels4cheap.com (C4C) and purchase-iptv.com.

The lawsuit claimed that the defendants were selling subscriptions to the Beast TV streaming service, which had been taken down three years earlier by several major media companies. DISH presented evidence showing that John Magembe was among the top 10 resellers of Beast TV subscriptions when the platform was at its peak.

The case seemed destined for a predictable outcome, with Magembe facing the consequences alone after Berry, his mother, was dismissed from the case due to her son’s unauthorized use of her bank account to receive subscription payments.

On April 26, 2024, District Judge Mark T. Pittman handed down a default judgment against Magembe, citing the defendants’ failure to defend the claims against them. Magembe was ordered to pay damages totaling over $30 million in connection with the sale of at least 12,000 IPTV subscriptions, in addition to being subject to a broad injunction to restrain any similar conduct in the future.

The Surprising Dismissal of the Sharma IPTV Case

In February 2024, DISH and Sling filed a lawsuit against Mr. Sharma of Sharma IPTV and his company Astro Vastu Solutions (AVS), alleging that they were trafficking an illegal streaming service. The plaintiffs had conducted a test purchase of the service for $135, with payment made to AVS to separate the name Sharma IPTV from transactions.

Prior to the lawsuit, DISH and NagraStar had sent a cease-and-desist notice to Sharma IPTV, offering to settle the case for $1 million. When the offer was not accepted, the companies sued for willful violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), demanding an injunction and damages of up to $2,500 for each infringement.

However, in a surprising turn of events, DISH and Sling dismissed all of their claims in the lawsuit just a day after the owner of Sharma IPTV, who was representing himself, requested assistance from the clerk of the court to process and serve documents to other parties. The reasons behind this sudden dismissal remain unclear, with no mention of a settlement.

The Unpredictable Nature of IPTV Reseller Lawsuits

The contrasting outcomes of these two cases highlight the unpredictable nature of lawsuits against IPTV resellers, despite their apparent similarities.

While the case against channels4cheap.com and purchase-iptv.com resulted in a substantial damages award and injunction, the Sharma IPTV case was abruptly dismissed without a clear explanation.

As DISH Network continues its efforts to combat IPTV piracy, it is likely that new information and strategies will play a role in future lawsuits against resellers.

For more details on this story, refer to the report from TorrentFreak and the Court Documentation (PDF).

We want to know your thoughts on this story. What do you think about DISH suing these IPTV resellers? Let us know in the comment section below!

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