Man hit with €51,000 fine for sharing Sky Sports stream online

A warning to all illegal streamers.

A man has been handed a £45,ooo (€51,500 approx.) for sharing a Sky Sports stream on an online live-streaming website. Waqas Rasheed was found guilty of breach of copyright after illegally sharing two Sky Sports channel streams on a website named IPTVdonations.com, which allows users to host live streams for other users to watch. His excuse for this breach? That he hadn't realised that he had created a channel on which others could watch the channels. As it transpired, the court did not agree with his view of proceedings. The practice of watching and sharing illegal streams online is a common one, which many consider to leave them unlikely to be hit with prosecution. This makes Rasheed's case both a potential landmark and a warning to many. On the company's website, Sky has plainly stated its commitment to protecting its multi-billion pound investment in sports broadcasting, something it appears to be backing up in this case.

The supply of illegal streams is a criminal offence and these suppliers don’t provide security, guarantees, or filters – users don’t know what’s on these boxes, they won’t get their money back when they fail, can expose themselves to malware and other security risks, and they can't protect their children from adult or inappropriate content.

Will this ruling discourage others from spreading illegal live streams online? The continued proliferation of live streaming sites makes it appear unlikely. At the very least though, it will make them think twice before they do so. Premier League football is good, but not exactly worth a £45,000 fine.