Dish Network is cracking down on piracy with a new $26 million lawsuit against Desi TV and its owners, one of a string of copyright cases announced and coordinated by The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP).
Following an extensive four-year investigation, Dish alleges Desi TV—also known as Desi TV Pro, Live TV and Live TV Pro—has been transmitting in the United States channels and copyrighted programming from India and Pakistan that are exclusively licensed to Dish.
The individuals behind Desi TV are still not known as their servers are regularly moved to different hosting companies throughout the world. At the time the complaint was filed, Desi TV was using servers hosted in Ukraine.
The case also includes claims against a small Brooklyn, New York-based business that has been selling set-top boxes pre-uploaded with Desi TV’s infringing content.
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While the exact damages inflicted by Desi TV and its partners remain unclear the defendant’s website advertises that they have “10 years of experience satisfying millions of subscribers around the globe” with membership packages listed at $299 and $169.
In addition, lawsuits filed this year and awaiting a decision by IBCAP members against other South Asian pirates include Chitram TV for more than $31 million and MyIndianTV for more than $26 million in damages plus injunctive relief.
“This latest case reiterates that IBCAP and its members will not tolerate piracy and will take action against illegal IPTV services and their dealers who ignore our takedown notices,” said Chris Kuelling, executive director of IBCAP, in a statement. “Dealers of these illegal IPTV services need to realize that they are risking their entire business by being involved, and it simply is not worth taking that risk.”
International Broadcast Coalition Against Piracy, Inc. is a coalition of international broadcasters and distributors representing more than 140 television channels from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America. IBCAP said it is the largest anti-piracy organization focused on multicultural content.
Dish Network is the 4th largest pay TV provider and one of the largest providers of international television in the United States.