Cable companies sue 'free TV' Android box vendors

[tay]

The ads are enticing: The promise of "Free TV" and the chance to "Say goodbye to cable bills forever."

So it's no surprise Canada's cable giants are targeting upstart dealers selling loaded Android TV boxes. The devices enable users to access pirated content with ease for a one-time fee

Bell Media, Rogers Communications and Quebec's Videotron have taken legal action in Federal Court against five Canadian vendors.

The cable companies have already won a temporary injunction to stop the defendants from selling the boxes.

The boxes are similar to Apple TV, but they use the Android operating system. Vendors can load them with special software that provides easy access to pirated content online.

Customers can attach the boxes to their TVs and stream a vast array of unauthorized movies, TV shows and even live broadcasts, sometimes eliminating the need for cable.

"We even got rid of Netflix," loaded Android box customer Jenna Galloway told CBC News earlier this year.

The Cole Harbour, N.S., resident said she uses the box to access all her favourite shows, including Call the Midwife and The Walking Dead.

The loaded boxes can be purchased online from sites such as Amazon for a one-time fee ranging from $40 to $250.

They're growing in popularity in Canada and across the globe, making them a target for cable companies.

The defendants named in the Federal Court case are MtlFreeTV, iTVBox, Android Bros Sales, WatchNSaveNow and My Electronics.
According to the injunction ruling, they promoted their boxes as a way to watch TV without paying for cable.

Android Bros in London, Ont., for example, advertised that customers "can 'cancel cable today' and still watch all of their television programs for free."

Bell, Rogers and Videotron alleged "there is a serious issue to be tried" due to "copyright infringement by the defendants." They also allege the businesses are selling devices intended for illegal purposes.

They argued the defendants should halt sales of the loaded boxes during the legal proceedings because continued sales would cause "irreparable harm" to their business.

The cable companies claimed "piracy is one of the top causes for declining subscriptions for television services in Canada."

Only one defendant, Quebec-based MTLFreeTV, appeared at the injunction hearing. Owner Vincent Wesley argued the loaded boxes are nothing more than "a piece of hardware" loaded with software that's freely available to the public.

The judge didn't buy the argument, and agreed to a temporary injunction to halt sales.

Cable companies launch court battle against 'free TV' Android box vendors - Business - CBC News

 

[TenPenny]

Those boxes don't do anything that a computer doesn't do, I don't understand the problem.

 

[spaminator]

is this iptv?

 

[Jinentonix]

The cable companies claimed "piracy is one of the top causes for declining subscriptions for television services in Canada."

Yeah, it wouldn't have anything to do with their sh*tty, over-priced products and service though. Never mind forcing customers to take on absolute crap "specialty" channels that wouldn't exist if their product wasn't being forced on cable customers. A la carte did nothing to alleviate that. Sure, you don't have the to take the crap channels anymore but you won't end up saving squat either.

 

[MHz]

Once they have the bugs worked out that is the model cable will 'sell' as the sit down at a certain time or you miss the show is gone the way of the horse and buggy. The odds are those boxes build up a database of what has been watched and it streams to other boxes the same way Microsoft distributes it's updates with such amazing speed. For 99% of the viewing audience that would be all you need and the 1% that use broadband to it's max already have that access but at a lower speed. Downloading a 90min movie in 3 minutes is mean to help a customer base that is growing rather than shrinking and the 99% don't want much control other than which pic to click on.

 

[Ludlow]

Once they have the bugs worked out that is the model cable will 'sell' as the sit down at a certain time or you miss the show is gone the way of the horse and buggy. The odds are those boxes build up a database of what has been watched and it streams to other boxes the same way Microsoft distributes it's updates with such amazing speed. For 99% of the viewing audience that would be all you need and the 1% that use broadband to it's max already have that access but at a lower speed. Downloading a 90min movie in 3 minutes is mean to help a customer base that is growing rather than shrinking and the 99% don't want much control other than which pic to click on.

However, protocol should never take precedence over procedure.

 

[MHz]

They are getting 'us' to pay for a service we are providing for ourselves. That kind of move could be admired by some, just before the noose snaps tight that is. Money for nothing.

 

[tay]

The fully loaded Android TV box battle resumes on Monday. That's when two box dealers take on Canada's cable giants in the Federal Court of Appeal in Montreal.

The dealers are appealing an injunction blocking them from selling their boxes during a legal case targeting the business.

Plaintiffs Bell, Rogers and Quebec's Videotron won the temporary injunction in June. It's their first victory after launching court action to stamp out a device that has become a scourge of the cable TV industry.

Once the box is loaded with special software, users can connect the Android box to their televisions to easily stream pirated content, including TV shows, movies, even live sports — all for a one-time fee, typically around $100.

The devices have been marketed with slogans such as "free TV" and "never pay a cable bill ever again!!!"

Bell Media, Rogers and Videotron — which all produce and distribute content — have targeted at least 45 Canadian dealers in the case.

They allege that by promoting and selling the loaded boxes, the vendors have "induced and authorized" customers to engage in copyright infringement.

The cable companies secured the injunction by arguing that if the defendants continued to sell their boxes, it would cause them "irreparable harm" due to lost business. That's because "piracy is one of the top causes for declining subscriptions for television services," they claim in court documents.

Two defendants, WatchNSaveNow in Mississauga, Ont., and MTLFreeTV in Montreal, are appealing the injunction.

They allege in court documents that the claim of "irreparable harm" was never properly established. For example, they argue the plaintiffs offered no concrete evidence linking box sales to lost TV subscriptions.

"They're going to have a very hard time being able to prove that I've caused them to lose one customer directly," says defendant Vincent Wesley, owner of MTLFreeTV.

There are numerous reasons why cable customers cancel their subscriptions, ranging from escalating prices to the lure of Netflix, he says.

"They're not going to be able to say, 'This one person bought a box from you, Vince, then directly came to us and cancelled every single one of our services.'"

Bell, Rogers and Videotron declined to comment on the appeal.

'Free TV' Android box dealers in court Monday to fight injunction blocking sales - Business - CBC News

 

[Danbones]

see yah like free internet

 

[tay]

'Free TV' Android boxes finding their way into many Canadian households


Forget illegal downloading; many Canadians are getting hooked on unauthorized streaming, according to a new study. This emerging type of piracy often involves a simple box running an Android operating system that's loaded with special software.

Connect it to your TV, and you can easily stream a vast selection of pirated movies and TV shows — even live television, including sports.

The three cable giants — which all produce and distribute content — want to stamp out the Android box industry. They have already won a temporary injunction, preventing targeted dealers from selling their loaded devices until the case is resolved.

"These boxes are illegal, and those who continue to sell them will face significant consequences," Bell spokesperson Marc Choma told CBC news in March.

However, even with the ongoing court case, Android box customers report that the loaded devices are still easy to find in Canada.

"I can go Kijiji and get one here in twenty minutes if you want one," Sokalski told CBC News.

Considering the appeal of the boxes and their prevalence, Deeth says shutting down the business will take more than legal action.

He believes education is also required, along with the offer of more low-cost streaming services so that people don't have to subscribe to cable to watch their favourite shows.

"There's probably no single way to stomp this out," he says.

'Free TV' Android boxes finding their way into many Canadian households, study says - Business - CBC News

 

[Dixie Cup]

My brother has set up his TV and internet so that he doesn't pay anything either. It's complicated (for me anyway) but he says they can watch European TV shows and news (sister-in-law is originally from Germany) and prefer Brit shows as opposed to the American ones. Having said that he's a geek of sorts so I wouldn't have a clue how he does it but he says they don't pay the exorbitant fees that Telus or Shaw charge. I wouldn't mind getting him to set us up but hubby says - what happens if something goes wrong - is he going to service it? (Hubby is kind of a bah humbug type).


I am also wondering how much extra this talking to your TV is going to cost that Shaw is advertising about - likely an arm and a leg LOL


JMHO

 

[tay]

I don't have one because I use OTA http://forums.canadiancontent.net/ontario/149736-tvo-dropping-ota-outside-toronto.html but if I was a big TV watcher I would consider one for $100.00 but I would be mindful that the big 3 could win.

I'm thinking of the time they stopped free satellite although I think these systems are different because they can't block the feed..........yet........

 

[Nick Danger]

I've wondered about this for a couple of years now. At the end of the day users of these devices are accessing TV shows and movies without any payment going back to the producers of those commercial products. In that aspect it's stealing. I think it was inevitable that there would be some push-back from the industry when you consider the lost income for them. I was surprised the other day when visiting a friend that he had purchased a new television that came pre-loaded with similar equipment, KODI I believe it was called.

 

[Bar Sinister]

This sounds a lot like the days of pirating satellite TV from the US. Remember the giant dish antennas in peoples' back yards? The Canadian cable companies tried to stop that also and satellite TV boxes were outlawed. The problem was that hundreds of thousands of the satellite receivers were smuggled into the country and people bought them anyway. Every now and then the police would stage a raid on an illegal sellers of the receivers, but another seller would pop up right away and to my knowledge not a single Canadian was arrested for having an illegal satellite system despite the fact that the dishes were so big it was quite obvious who was pirating signals.

To my mind this is a problem that the cable companies have brought on themselves with their overpricing and fixed packaging. I have Bell satellite and pay about $90 a month for it, however, out of the hundred or more channels I am required to take I only watch about 14 and I am not allowed to pay only for what I use unless I want to sign onto an even more expensive package.

Where can I get one of those android boxes?

 

[B00Mer]

LOL.. suckers paying for Canadians Cable..