Italy busts major IPTV pirate
July 22, 2019
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
The Italian Police has dismantled a major IPTV platform in Palermo that provided unauthorised access to pay-TV platforms Sky Italia and DAZN.
A 35-year old was reported for violation of copyright law. At his home, the Police found the “source” of the illegal ZSat platform, consisting of 57 Sky Italia decoders, connected to Internet transmission equipment.
The Police also seized €186,900 in cash, gold bars, and two virtual wallets with cryptocurrency.
The estimated customer base of ZSat is of around 11,000 people throughout Italy, who could face criminal charges, ranging from fines to one to three years in jail.
The phenomenon of TV piracy is estimated to generate over €700 million per year, consisting of both lost revenue for pay-TV operators and profit for organised crime.