TickBox TV, a manufacturer of streaming TV devices, agreed to pay USD 25 million to settle a lawsuit from major Hollywood studios and OTT services, which accused the company of facilitate copyright infringement.
TickBox also agreed to stop providing software that allows users to access pirated content, and to disable any such software within 24 hours, Variety reported.
TickBox TV devices support Kodi, an open source software, which can be modified with apps and third-party add-ons allowing access to copyrighted online content.
The studios behind the lawsuit are Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Disney, 20th Century Fox Film, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros., along with OTT services Netflix and Amazon. They sued TickBox TV in October 2017.
In mid-2017, these companies launched the so-called Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a new global coalition dedicated to protecting the dynamic legal market for creative content and reducing online piracy.
“TickBox and many other piracy devices and streaming apps are a threat to the millions of creators around the world who make films and television shows,” said Jolyon Kimble, a spokesperson for the group. “Today’s stipulated judgment and permanent injunction is a significant victory for ACE and the creative community, ensuring TickBox will no longer sell illegal access to pirated movie and television content.”