Kodi box seller will be sentenced over piracy in UK court today

[Len]

A man who sold set-top boxes loaded with Kodi software is set to be sentenced later today after admitting to facilitating piracy.

In the UK authorities’ continuing crackdown on Kodi-related piracy, a British court is today expected to sentence a man after he admitted to selling boxes loaded with the software.

For context, Kodi is an open-source media player that’s become widely known as an easy way to access premium content illegally. Some vendors load these Kodi boxes with third-party add-ons that make it possible to stream live sport, TV shows and movies for free – even though they’d normally require payment to watch.

These so-called “fully-loaded” Kodi boxes have been the target of an aggressive crackdown that’s seen many vendors – including Amazon – refusing to sell them.

Shop owner Brian Thompson, who is due to be sentenced later today, originally denied offences, but pleaded guilty last month. He will be sentenced for one count of selling and one count of advertising devices that were “designed, produced or adapted for the purpose of enabling or facilitating the circumvention of effective technological measures”.

Thompson has alleged that although he did sell the box, he believed that customers would have had to adapt the devices themselves to access paid-for content without paying. He is quoted as having told reporters: “All I want to know is whether I am doing anything illegal. I know it’s a grey area but I want it in black and white.”

He added: “I’m prepared to accept what the court decides but at the moment, as far as I’m concerned, I’m not breaking the law.”

The 55-year-old runs Cut Price Tomo’s TV store in Middlesbrough, and will be sentenced at Teesside Crown Court.