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Home / Business

Sky takes legal action to tackle streaming

Ben Hill
By Ben Hill
Reporter·NZ Herald·
27 Apr, 2017 02:03 AM4 mins to read

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Sky have called in the lawyers over what they claim is a breach of copyright. Photo / 123RF

Sky have called in the lawyers over what they claim is a breach of copyright. Photo / 123RF

Sky has called in the lawyers against a company selling streaming boxes, claiming the service breaches copyright and threatens the financial viability of sporting codes.

But My Box NZ owner Krish Reddy is refusing to back down from what he's claiming are "bullying" tactics on behalf of the broadcaster.

Reddy received a letter from law firm Buddle Findlay on behalf of Sky, saying his company's service breaches copyright and the Fair Trading Act and to stop trading.

READ MORE:
My Box NZ makes play for Kiwi streaming audience

Reddy said Sky is "acting as nothing more than a playground bully, using their resources to try and get rid of my business".

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"I feel that's unfair, I'm providing a service... and I'm not breaking any laws doing it, so I don't see what the problem is.

"I feel bullied, they're trying to bully a new business out. My product... it's for everybody."

"I'm a small company who is trying to [make] TV affordable. Rattling a giant like Sky's cage was the intention."

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Reddy said his company doesn't control what people can access through the boxes they sell.

"We simply set up the platform for people to stream what they like.

"From a legal perspective, what we do is completely within the law. We advertise Sky television channels being available through our website and social media platforms as these are available via streams which you can find through My Box," he said.

Reddy said the streams accessed through the product are hosted overseas.

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"We simply set up the platform for people to stream what they like. What they find is out of our control.

"The content is already available, I'm not going out there and bringing the content so how am I infringing the copyright... the content is already there, if someone uses the box to search for the content, that's what it is.

A standard Android box from My Box NZ costs $269, with an "advanced" device costing $379.

"We offer something for a one-off cost, which is a minimum compared to what people pay for Sky."

Reddy told the Herald in November that the boxes were customised with Kodi software, and they were imported from China.

On the My Box NZ website, it asks "are you tired of paying for Sky?", while promising customers will "never pay for Sky again".

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"Stream your favourite movies, TV shows and live Sky sporting events online," is also stated near a description of the product.

The letter from Buddle Findlay quotes the Herald story from November, contradicting Reddy's claims that the product was legal.

It states that "it appears that MyBox not only encourages but also enables users to view infringing streams of copyright works... that we believe have been made and distributed without the consent of the copyright owners and relevant exclusive licensees, including Sky."

Sky spokeswoman Kirsty Way said the letter "really says it all", and added that the "promotion of software to, in our view, unlawfully access content is a blatant breach of copyright".

"The impact of such services are severe and wide, sure they affect Sky and our 1400 staff, but also other local media companies, producers, actors, film-makers and many, many more.

"Our letter asks them to stop promoting access to content they do not own or have rights to promote in New Zealand. Their actions are not only unlwaful but to the detriment of many others."

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Way said that services like My Box NZ "risk the value of sports rights sold legally to companies like Sky who pay top dollar for the privilege".

"With illegal access, this lessens the value for broadcasters and affects the price they can pay and still derive some value.

"Declines in broadcasting fees are directly related to what codes like rugby can pay players to keep them in this country and what they can invest at a grass roots level."

Reddy said he will not go down without a fight.

"Winning or losing is irrelevant. Growing up, my father always used to tell me to not pick fights, but if you want to then go out there and find the biggest and toughest one you can find."

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