TorrentFreak Italy Fines Over 2,200 Pirate IPTV Subscribers in New Crackdown

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A few months ago, Italy paved the way to issue fines against subscribers of pirate IPTV services.

A memorandum of understanding between the Prosecutor’s Office, Guardia di Finanza, and AGCOM, established a “collaboration protocol” where information on IPTV users would be shared between agencies.

The source of this information wasn’t made immediately clear, but it’s likely that it applies to subscriber details obtained in IPTV raids that regularly take place in the country. These databases likely hold emails and other potentially identifiable information on (former) subscribers.

With these details in hand, authorities can now approach suspected offenders. Backed by a new anti-piracy law introduced in 2023, which enables fines of up to €5,000 for repeat offenders, no time was wasted warning IPTV pirates that their time had run out. This warning was more than a veiled threat, it now appears.

2,282 Subscribers Fined​

At a press conference this week, the Guardia di Finanza announced the first concrete results of intensified anti-piracy actions targeting end-users. According to the police, 2,282 pirate IPTV users were targeted with fines across Italy.

Initial fines typically start at €154, but the authorities emphasize that these will increase to €5,000 if the same offenders are caught again.

These actions mark the first effective application of Law 93/2023 against end-users, not just operators. According to local press, the subscriber details are linked to an enforcement action in Lecce, where a large IPTV operation was dismantled last October.

The authorities have made it clear that this is not a one-off event. Activities are underway to identify other pirate IPTV subscribers and three other Prosecutors’ Offices have launched investigations to identify more targets.

Piracy & Politics​

In addition to these fines, Law 93/2023 also established Italy’s Piracy Shield, a system that enables swift ISP blocking of unauthorized IPTV streams.

After its launch last year, Piracy Shield was heavily criticized by opponents, particularly for several overblocking errors. However, it remains in place today and is gradually being expanded and streamlined.

The legislation is in large part tailored towards stopping pirated live-streams of football broadcasts, which is a big deal in the country. What helps in this regard is that Senator Claudio Lotito, the author and rapporteur of the anti-piracy law, is also the owner of one of the largest Italian clubs; Lazio.

Commenting on the thousands of fines, Lotito notes that there is “no more joking around”, adding that those who cross the line will face personal and financial repercussions.

Italian Football Praises Fines​

The Lazio owner is not the only football boss to welcome the news. Sky reports that Luigi De Siervo, CEO of the top league Serie A, warned that “no one who commits a crime of piracy in Italy can rest easy”.

Paolo Scaroni, president of AC Milan, stressed that the country already has some of the best anti-piracy laws; it is key to put these to use.

“We have an excellent law, but it needs to be enforced. Enforcing it means punishing those who provide piracy but also those who use and buy it,” Scaroni commented.

Finally, Inter president Beppe Marotta noted that it’s time to say ‘enough’ to piracy. Instead of asking the public to stop pirating, they should feel the consequences right away.

“This law, which was passed two years ago, is now prepared to address the priorities. Using a football metaphor: if before there was a yellow card, now there is a red card. The law will help rebalance revenues and give a boost to the movement.”

Whether these fines will indeed motivate people to start paying remains to be seen. Depending on the scale of the fines, recipients may have to save up before they can start paying for legal subscriptions.

From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.

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