The stars didn’t align for astrology company Astro Vatsu Solutions (AVS) which is now being sued by DISH Network and Sling TV for peddling pirated channel subscriptions.
California resident Vaneet Sharma, owner of AVS, allegedly sold subscriptions to his 10,000-channel pirated service, Sharma IPTV. The illegal service offered live channels, sports programs, movies, and more, for about $10 to $15 a month.
“Defendants’ advertising emphasizes attracting users that may otherwise purchase legitimate television services such as the satellite-based services that DISH offers, stating for example, ‘NO Cable/Dish Needed’,” the lawsuit reads.
Sling’s logo was also spotted on certain channels offered by the service.
DISH and Sling filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in a California court last week after Sharma failed to comply with a cease-and-desist order.
Sharma later tried to conceal the illegal operation by encouraging users to disguise their payments by not mentioned the service’s name and delete reviews. The service eventually stopped taking PayPal payments because “Dish and some other companies have been catching people.”
The lawsuit against Sharma is the latest example of the pervasive problem illegal IPTV services and pirated content present. Authorities around the world are locked in a seemingly unending battle against the cybercriminals.
“Plaintiffs’ channels are retransmitted to users of the Service by circumventing the [digital rights management] technology that Plaintiffs use to protect the Channels from unauthorized access and copying. Upon information and belief, the circumvention targets at least the Widevine DRM,” the lawsuit said.
Piracy is far from a new issue, but the rapidly evolving tech landscape means schemes are often harder to detect and easily replaced even if they’re shut down. Sharma IPTV, for example, worked around the digital rights management technology used by DISH and Sling to protect their channels from illegal access and replication.
Authorities must also now contend with more viewers seeking out illegal entertainment amid a sea of streaming services and pricey cable packages.
DISH and Sling weren’t immediately available for comment.
The news was reported earlier by Torrent Freak.
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