Two Sentenced to Jail for Selling Kodi Devices

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rgMekanic

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TorrentFreak is reporting that two men from the UK have just been handed nearly 2 year prison sentences for selling Kodi-powered devices. The boxes, called the OoberStick, were relatively expensive boxes with a custom version of Kodi and various addons, had been on the market since 2016. Glenn Burrows pleaded guilty to intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offense, along with a money laundering offense. Burrows' partner Darren Wicks pleaded guilty to intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offense.

Burrows was sentenced to 22 months in prison, and is subject to an order preventing him from selling products online for five years, and has to notify police of his online usernames and identities. Wicks was sentenced to 20 months in prison, and must also do 250 hours of "unpaid work."

While this is far from the first story we've done about Kodi boxes, this really seals the deal on the sheer hatred some seem to have at the software.

"I hope these sentences send a clear message that the use of illicit streaming devices to watch content without the copyright owner’s permission is illegal," says Detective Sergeant Samantha Shevlin of the Norfolk and Suffolk Police Cyber Crime Unit.
 
Good job fighting the good fight Samantha. You've really taken some hardcore criminals off the street.

We can all rest easy now.

Now about the murderers, human traffickers, and other large scale organized crime...
 
J3RK said:
Good job fighting the good fight Samantha. You've really taken some hardcore criminals off the street.

We can all rest easy now.

Now about the murderers, human traffickers, and other large scale organized crime...
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Certainly makes me feel safer when I go to visit my Aunt in the UK...........

1290603068_crazy-brazilian-murderer-interview.gif
 
How about stores that sell knives, baseball bats, computer mice and keyboards, power outlets...?
 
OMG, these sick bastards. They only got around 2 years? Way to lenient.

They have much bigger things to worry about, but I am glad I do not live there.
 
J3RK said:
Good job fighting the good fight Samantha. You've really taken some hardcore criminals off the street.

We can all rest easy now.

Now about the murderers, human traffickers, and other large scale organized crime...
Click to expand...

I dunno man, in the public "Kodi" has become synonymous with pirate boxes. People don't even realize Kodi is just a frontend and they are paying for banned addons. It's bad for the community and for Kodi in general.
 
Verge said:
I dunno man, in the public "Kodi" has become synonymous with pirate boxes. People don't even realize Kodi is just a frontend and they are paying for banned addons. It's bad for the community and for Kodi in general.
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A agree it is bad for the Legit Kodi community but I look at it this way knives kill people should be ban those too?

With access to so much information on the internet if people are buying these and aren't aware you kinda of deserve it.
 
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Meeho said:
How about stores that sell knives, baseball bats, computer mice and keyboards, power outlets...?
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You don't know how close you are on that last one. I design, build, and sell patchable synthesizers based on banana jacks and cables. They were recently up for possible banning in Europe because they can be plugged into some types of European mains outlets. I'm not sure if it passed or not, as I haven't checked back yet, but it may be illegal for me to sell my synths over there sometime in the near future. I was making jokes about smuggling banana jacks, and hiring mules to get them into Europe. :D May as well ban keys, butter-knives, and other flat metal things in the US, because those could potentially go into our outlets.
 
Verge said:
I dunno man, in the public "Kodi" has become synonymous with pirate boxes. People don't even realize Kodi is just a frontend and they are paying for banned addons. It's bad for the community and for Kodi in general.
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Oh, I know. I'm against large scale sentences for this type of thing. I know there has to be laws and punishments or it would be even more rampant, but just not to the extent that many of them go to. I was mostly making light though in the case of my post.
 
J3RK said:
Well, they can still sharpen sticks over there I suppose.

Oh wait, there's the "Sharpened Stick Ordinance". Damnit!
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I really can't comment anything because they just might do that..........
 
Seems fine to me. I have a cousin who can barely figure out a microwave ask me why I paid for HBO and Netflix when I could buy “a Kodi” instead. Reselling of these devices to access free content is out of hand, it’s moved into the mainstream.
 
Ocellaris said:
Seems fine to me. I have a cousin who can barely figure out a microwave ask me why I paid for HBO and Netflix when I could buy “a Kodi” instead. Reselling of these devices to access free content is out of hand, it’s moved into the mainstream.
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Yeah, there needs to be some way to stop them. I'm just not sure a couple of years in jail is the right approach. On the other hand, I'm not sure what WOULD be the right approach either. I'm sure something that suits this type of crime a bit better could be found though. Save space, food, energy, and money by not putting people in jail who do this type of thing. Save it for the real criminals. Selling this sort of thing is generally viewed a lot worse than just operating it though, so I guess they got off at least a bit easier than some other stories I've read.
 
UK is going down the tubes. Letting in millions of Muslims who are beheading people on the streets, putting people in prison for ridiculous digital crimes and their lack of personal privacy makes me wonder what that country will be in 50years.

What an absolute joke of a country at this point.
 
meltdowner said:
UK is going down the tubes. Letting in millions of Muslims who are beheading people on the streets, putting people in prison for ridiculous digital crimes and their lack of personal privacy makes me wonder what that country will be in 50years.

What an absolute joke of a country at this point.
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You can rape 1500 girls, but watching unsafe porn on your Kodi while spreading lube on yourself with a butter knife deserves a death sentence.
 
All that video entertainment business money backing up the real crime fighting.
 
Meeho said:
You can rape 1500 girls, but watching unsafe porn on your Kodi while spreading lube on yourself with a butter knife deserves a death sentence.
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Makes me think they are doing this on purpose to start some kind of civil war. Makes no sense at all.
 
Well, they are protecting their overlords of money... say what you want, but everything in this world is b/c of money... why bother with the rapists, murderer's and violent crimes, it doesn't pay.. it actually COSTS.
 
meltdowner said:
Makes me think they are doing this on purpose to start some kind of civil war. Makes no sense at all.
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Fun Fact i heard recently. Due to cutbacks there are under 70,000 operating officers in the UK to manage 65,000,000 million people. Apparently It has become popular on weekends for criminals to operate as there is almost zero chance of being caught, police only arrive for the most serious crimes by which point the victims have already been in serious trouble or worse (and there is no 2nd amendment). Outside of central London, on a weekend night there are typically 4 officers on duty to police an entire city center area.... let that sink in. Stretched beyond breaking point apparently many offices are on long term leave for stress / depression even PTSD.
 
J3RK said:
Yeah, there needs to be some way to stop them. I'm just not sure a couple of years in jail is the right approach. On the other hand, I'm not sure what WOULD be the right approach either. I'm sure something that suits this type of crime a bit better could be found though. Save space, food, energy, and money by not putting people in jail who do this type of thing. Save it for the real criminals. Selling this sort of thing is generally viewed a lot worse than just operating it though, so I guess they got off at least a bit easier than some other stories I've read.
Click to expand...

The real problem is the unrealistic length of a copyright. Life of the author plus 70 years?? Really?? Copyrights were originally intended to give the author a 'limited' time to make some money off of his work, I don't really consider my life plus 70 years to be all that 'limited' (especially with how fast things change these days). With these extensions basically being bought by companies like Disney, I have no problem with people ignoring the copyrights.
 
sadsteve said:
The real problem is the unrealistic length of a copyright. Life of the author plus 70 years?? Really?? Copyrights were originally intended to give the author a 'limited' time to make some money off of his work, I don't really consider my life plus 70 years to be all that 'limited' (especially with how fast things change these days). With these extensions basically being bought by companies like Disney, I have no problem with people ignoring the copyrights.
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You can thank Sonny bono for that.

They even call it the protect Mickey act.
 
Ocellaris said:
Seems fine to me. I have a cousin who can barely figure out a microwave ask me why I paid for HBO and Netflix when I could buy “a Kodi” instead. Reselling of these devices to access free content is out of hand, it’s moved into the mainstream.
Click to expand...
I agree with this. What was it in that other thread? 25% of Hong Kong using those things? That's way, way out of control. That's legitimate market disruption.
 
and has to notify police of his online usernames and identities.
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That should be fun ... "Hey, yeah, I just signed up for a Google account. Username is PigsCaughtMeRollin."

"Hey, it's me again, just letting you know I signed up for Etsy. Figured I could order some nicknacks .. Username of YourDaughterLikesThem."
 
I was on vacation last year in Florida near Daytona Beach. We went to a flea market one morning to hit the farmer's market. Long story short, I saw several vendors selling Kodi devices clearly marked as "free movies and porn". I heard a few of the sales pitches - cringe-worthy.
However, just because you have Kodi doesn't mean you are a pirate. Did you know that if you own a TV or computer you can watch pirated content on these devices?
 
Meeho said:
Ah, the 1 download = 1 lost sale argument
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Ah, the piracy never hurt anyone argument. Because the cost of content creation and distribution does not count as a cost basis.

There's damage here. It's significant.
 
When are they going to arrest Jensen for selling millions of Shield Kodi boxes.
 
Joust said:
Ah, the piracy never hurt anyone argument. Because the cost of content creation and distribution does not count as a cost basis.

There's damage here. It's significant.
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No, it's not. Many studies show otherwise. Also, common sense does. You know what does hurt? A shitty product, pissing on your audience or treating them as thieves. Oh, and region locking.
 
steakman1971 said:
I was on vacation last year in Florida near Daytona Beach. We went to a flea market one morning to hit the farmer's market. Long story short, I saw several vendors selling Kodi devices clearly marked as "free movies and porn". I heard a few of the sales pitches - cringe-worthy.
However, just because you have Kodi doesn't mean you are a pirate. Did you know that if you own a TV or computer you can watch pirated content on these devices?
Click to expand...
Somehow I imagine them selling these in actual pirate costumes/hats!
 
Meeho said:
No, it's not. Many studies show otherwise. Also, common sense does. You know what does hurt? A shitty product, pissing on your audience or treating them as thieves. Oh, and region locking.
Click to expand...
Yes. It is. People are migrating off subscription-based television service because of this. It isnt common sense, it's nonsensical to think that's not damaging.

This isn't a few pimple-faced Jabba the Hutt-looking antisocial basement-dwelling computer-savvy teenagers downloading some torrents. It's being used as a substitute for (premium) tv service. At a substantial rate of adoption.
 
Verge said:
I dunno man, in the public "Kodi" has become synonymous with pirate boxes. People don't even realize Kodi is just a frontend and they are paying for banned addons. It's bad for the community and for Kodi in general.
Click to expand...

Makaveli@BETA said:
A agree it is bad for the Legit Kodi community but I look at it and knives kill people should be ban those too?

With access to so much information on the internet if people are buying these and aren't aware you kinda of deserve it.
Click to expand...

The problem here is something being used mostly for the wrong reason. Also the intent of the item being sold. There is nothing wrong with selling pipes and fertilizer either, but I if I start to sell a kit that has a pipe, and various other things along with instructions on where to find a private online video to make a pipe bomb can't really claim that I was simply selling a home improvement kit. I am selling a pipe bomb kit, but leaving it up to you to put it together so that I can claim I had no idea that you would make a bomb with it. The fact that they were selling you a media player with instructions on how to finish the install yourself means that they were giving you all the pieces but trying to remove themselves from the finished product, just like giving you a link to make a pipe bomb. There is 100% intent there for you to use this for improper use otherwise they wouldn't give you the instructions on how to set it up that way.

Yes there are legit uses, Kodi is on the Xbox one and windows stores, however I would be willing to bet most people that use it aren't using it for legit reasons. Like others have said here, every time I hear somebody (mostly non tech people) talk about Kodi it is in regards on how to acquire illegal content. My sister's friend was trying to explain to her how to get it, then was going to give her links to go to in order to get movies that were just being released in theaters. She learned about that from some group for mothers on facebook where one of the mom's was telling everyone how to get free movies to save on the cost of taking your kids to the theater. Which they of course learned from somebody else...
 
Exavior said:
The problem here is something being used mostly for the wrong reason. Also the intent of the item being sold. There is nothing wrong with selling pipes and fertilizer either, but I if I start to sell a kit that has a pipe, and various other things along with instructions on where to find a private online video to make a pipe bomb can't really claim that I was simply selling a home improvement kit. I am selling a pipe bomb kit, but leaving it up to you to put it together so that I can claim I had no idea that you would make a bomb with it. The fact that they were selling you a media player with instructions on how to finish the install yourself means that they were giving you all the pieces but trying to remove themselves from the finished product, just like giving you a link to make a pipe bomb. There is 100% intent there for you to use this for improper use otherwise they wouldn't give you the instructions on how to set it up that way.

Yes there are legit uses, Kodi is on the Xbox one and windows stores, however I would be willing to bet most people that use it aren't using it for legit reasons. Like others have said here, every time I hear somebody (mostly non tech people) talk about Kodi it is in regards on how to acquire illegal content. My sister's friend was trying to explain to her how to get it, then was going to give her links to go to in order to get movies that were just being released in theaters. She learned about that from some group for mothers on facebook where one of the mom's was telling everyone how to get free movies to save on the cost of taking your kids to the theater. Which they of course learned from somebody else...
Click to expand...
I like how we jumped from piracy to pipe bombs.
 
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