Is the era of the dodgy box set to end in tears? Public opinion may quietly applaud – or at least tolerate – those who use illegal TV services via a box or a firestick. On some guesstimates as many as 400,000 Irish households may use these devices, at significant cost to rights holders ranging from big corporations like Sky to local services showing GAA or football matches.
The perception of getting one over on a large company has led to a general acceptance of the dodgy box practice. However, those who avail of these services are also costing their neighbours, as service prices should fall if more people sign up. They are what economists call “free riders”, taking advantage of a service that others are paying for.
Recent court cases may give those providing and using these services pause for thought. A jail sentence for one Irish provider and a hefty fine for another have been in the headlines, along with similar high profile cases in the UK. Other providers have reportedly withdrawn their services after receiving letters threatening legal action from the Federation against Copyright Theft, an industry body.
Those providing the service to customers leave themselves open to both criminal and civil legal action – as, theoretically at least, do their customers. A few more successful cases against big providers could have a powerful deterrent effect across the market.
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But what about users? Sky TV has warned about “consequences” and referred to discussion with the Data Protection Commissioner on using personal data to root out the dodgy box households. Gardaí have previously not acted in this area – no doubt due to the size of the problem.
Providers will remain the main target of enforcement. But a string of “cease and desist” letters from providers like Sky to households, or some kind of fines system for those found to have availed of these services, could have a powerful effect. And if the providers promised lower prices if more people signed up, they might also start to swing the battle for public opinion.
