Leaper Beheer BV, a Dutch company that distributed IPTV links, had been forced to cease all illegal activity or face a fine of around 1 million euros. Instead of keeping a low profile, its creators preferred to carry on as if nothing had happened. Today, they have just been caught up with justice.
A new conviction of an IPTV pirate is making headlines today. While European countries are cracking down on companies that illegally distribute content from TV channels and streaming platforms, the Netherlands and its anti-piracy body BREIN is arguably one of the most effective. A few years ago, the BREIN was notably at the origin of a nice catch: Leaper Beheer B.V.a Dutch company that sold IPTV subscriptions in the form of M3U playlists.
To avoid legal action, the company hid links to the content of 4000 TV channels and a thousand films. Probably inspired by the exploits of their colleagues who managed to escape sanctions, the creators then argued that they were not going beyond the limits of the law given the fact that they were content to provide links to existing sites.
They defy justice, they end up with a bigger fine
But in 2018, the court ruled in favor of BREIN. Consequently, the creators of Leaper Beheer BV were ordered to stop their activities under pain of paying a fine of 5,000 euros per playlist, i.e. a sum which could climb to 1 million euros. At the time, and quite understandably, the latter then accepted the market offered to them. At least, officially.
Related: IPTV — Web Host Fined 350 Million Euros But Can’t Pay Lawyer
Because behind the scenes, the playlists continue to be broadcast, always with links to IPTV platforms inside. Leaper Beheer BV actually had no intention of closing its operations. It was without counting on the BREIN, which announced on March 16, 2022 that the Maastrich court found guilty both directors of copyright infringement.
It now remains to determine the amount of the new fine, it is a safe bet that the latter will be significantly higher than the previous one. The court has already ordered Leaper Beheer BV from countries administrative fees of €20,764 and legal fees of €2,252. “These guys tried to sing as long as possible to raise as much money as possible. It’s going to cost them dearly now.”said Tim Kuik, Director of BREIN.
Source: Torrent Freak
