DISH is sending Demand Letters (up to $7500) to IPTV 'subscribers'

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DISH is sending Demand Letters (up to $7500) to IPTV 'subscribers'

Post by tvroadmin » Tue Jun 11, 2019 9:24 pm

...
DISH Is Threatening Lawsuits Against IPTV Subscribers
by Luke Bouma on June 11, 2019

:boo!
For years DISH has gone after pirates who use boxes to access DISH signals without paying. Now it looks like through DISH’s NagraStar’s SatScams.com joint venture DISH is also going after people who stream DISH-owned content through IPTV services.

In the past they mostly focused on people who pirated their satellite signal. Now they are also targeting subscribers who use IPTV services to stream content online. In the past most lawsuits targeting IPTV services have gone after the owners and people who sold the services. Now DISH is targeting people who paid for these services but didn’t run them.

Here is one example of a story of an IPTV subscriber that was posted on NagraStar’s website recently:

Hello. I heard about rocket IPTV and set about subscribing to it. I wasn’t positive it was illegal but I figured it probably was. I went ahead anyway as I had just been disabled and figured I’d have a lot of TV time ahead plus I was pretty broke. It was a bad, wrong idea and if I can pay my way out of this I’ll be glad again. Sadderbutwiser (and poorer!)

Here is one more example of a subscriber who received a letter from DISH’s NagraStar:

I made a mistake. Four years ago, I made a payment to a subscription [service] to watch TV channels. I thought I was not committing any crime. I was wrong. I was watching Dish Network channels including premium channels. I received a certified letter from NagraStar telling me to communicate with them. The staff explained to me very professionally the process to follow to solve the situation. I agreed to a payment plan with them to fulfill my responsibility for the mistake I made. What I have come up with is a lesson in life. I learned to be more cautious with the services they offer online. I recommend not subscribing to any illegal service online. If you have doubt about a service do not subscribe. The consequences are terrible. My recommendation for all the people who have received the letter is that they communicate with NagraStar and assume responsibility in good faith. It is not worth getting into legal lawsuits if an agreement can be reached.


According to the NagraStar website they are willing to accept $3,500 from those who have purchased illegal content and $7,500 from those who sold it. The website does say they are open to lowering that settlement. “NagraStar also is open to negotiating the settlement amount. Piracy equipment such as set-top boxes and streaming devices can be sent in to lower the settlement amount. We also accept piracy forum credentials in the form of a username and password. If you are experiencing financial difficulties or hardships, our team will work with you to create a personalized monthly payment plan. :lol: Please don’t ignore the letter.”

NagraStar does say if they do not hear back from a suspected pirate that they may refer them to their law firm for “litigation.”

This is a massive shift in the world of piracy. Gone are the days of just worrying if your streaming piracy services will be shut down. Now you may face a legal notice with a demand for money or a potential lawsuit.

In recent months several IPTV services have shut down. One of the larger ones was Vader, which promised hundreds of channels streamed online for a low monthly fee. NagraStar talks about Vader on their website and Vader’s claims that they will protect customer data. This raises the question about if NagraStar may have targeted Vader causing it to shut down.

Have you received a letter from NagraStar? Send us a message. We would love to talk to you and will keep your comment anonymous.

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Re: Bad News: DISH is sending Demand Letters (up to $7500) to IPTV 'subscribers'

Post by tvroadmin » Tue Jun 11, 2019 10:43 pm

I guess they are going through the Set TV customer list first. Let's see:

180,000 Set TV subscribers x $3500 USD = $630 million USD

Even if only 75% agree to pay (by taking advantage of the Nagra monthly payment plan, no less) :doh , that's still half a billion in cold, hard cash. And they are just getting warmed up. It is now common knowledge that these pirate iptv streams of USA channels mostly originate from DISH and this company has done absolutely NOTHING to mitigate the problem. Now we know why. One has to wonder if they are also complicit in putting out and reselling the live streams themselves. :sinister After all, it takes some serious cash, probably a quarter of a million, to purchase the subbed receivers, encoders, switches and other hardware needed to live stream 500+ TV channels. Who in their right mind would layout that much capital for such a risky and highly illegal business venture that could be shut down at any time? Conspiracy theory? No way. Just look into who is behind Locast, the locals streaming company attempting to defraud broadcasters out of re-transmission fees.

We urge our members at TVROSat NOT to subscribe to any of these shady streaming services, because the agenda behind them is becoming all too clear. You should especially NEVER use a credit card, paypal or other easily traceable payment method, because they will eventually get this information and send you a letter demanding thousands of dollars.

If you are new to TVROSat, consider purchasing a big C band dish from one of our sponsors to watch hundreds of uncompressed, pure HD master satellite feeds, which look way better than DISH anyway. It is 100% legal, the channels are stable and don't buffer or go down, and best of all, no threatening legal letters either!
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Re: DISH is sending Demand Letters (up to $7500) to IPTV 'subscribers'

Post by Victoria » Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:52 am

LMAO. :toofunny

If you believe any of this nonsense then I've got a bridge to sell you.

I guess Dish Network's new business model is charging stupidity taxes to people dumb enough to fall for their empty threats. They would never waste resources actually pursuing folks and if they did they wouldn't have a legal leg to stand on.

If I got one of these letters it would go straight to the shredder. Dish Network can take their scammy letters and get bent. :dancer:

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Re: DISH is sending Demand Letters (up to $7500) to IPTV 'subscribers'

Post by tvroadmin » Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:15 pm

Victoria wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:52 am
If I got one of these letters it would go straight to the shredder. :dancer:
In that case, DISH/NAGRA follow up with a lawsuit in your jurisdiction. They typically sue a few hundred people at a time, which makes it very economical for them to do. If you own any assets like a house, car, 401K or any other illiquid assets, you will have to defend the lawsuit or they will get a default judgement against you and try to seize those assets. Even if you don't own anything, they can get a court order to garnish your wages or social security. You can only ignore their letter if you are a complete deadbeat.

The typical lawyer these days will want a $10,000 retainer to take your case and they suck blood at the rate of about $500 per hour. You'll be stuck in court for months or even years. This is why they offer you the settlement plan and Nagra's convenient monthly payment plan. These fine folks are also willing to negotiate and lower the settlement amount if you call them. :rotflmao:

Victoria wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:52 am
Dish Network can take their scammy letters and get bent.
Somehow I don't think it will be them bending over, but rather, it will be you doing the bending if your name shows up on one of their seized lists. This has been going on for many years, the difference now is they are going after iptv subscribers.


[youtube]ASetjL2ASgA[/youtube]


Still don't believe it? The same story is also being reported at another site and it appears Bell will be suing illegal iptv subscribers in Canada, while Dish handles the illegals in the USA. I'll post the story below.
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Re: DISH is sending Demand Letters (up to $7500) to IPTV 'subscribers'

Post by tvroadmin » Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:25 pm

DISH and Bell IPTV ‘Pirates’ Pressed to Settle Or Face Legal Action
BY ERNESTO ON JUNE 12, 2019

NagraStar, a join venture between DISH Network and Kudelski Group, is going after people who use pirate IPTV services to access DISH and Bell TV programming. The company is demanding $3,500 settlements and cautions that those who don't cooperate can expect legal action.

Traditional file-sharing pirates are no stranger to settlement demands from copyright holders. For over a decade, companies have been monitoring BitTorrent swarms in an effort to extract cash from alleged infringers.

These efforts have now carried over to IPTV streaming pirates. Generally speaking, it’s impossible for rightsholders to see who’s using pirate IPTV services unless the provider is willing to hand over customer details. This is exactly what’s happening.

The IPTV settlement campaign is run by NagraStar, which is a joint venture between DISH Network and Kudelski Group. While some rightsholders try to keep these efforts out of the public eye, NagraStar has a public website explaining in detail what they do.

The company is already known for demanding settlements from and filing lawsuits against people who decrypt satellite signals including IKS (Intenet Key Sharing) pirates. As Cord Cutters News spotted, this has now carried over to pirate IPTV subscribers.

NagraStar’s efforts focus on people who obtain programming from DISH Network and Bell TV, without permission. These generally are subscribers of unlicensed IPTV services. These subscriber records are not public, but some vendors hand them over when they are caught.

“When NagraStar settles with pirates who operate online services that sell illegal content, we commonly receive transaction evidence of all the sales made to end users and secondary resellers. NagraStar uses this information to send letters and emails proposing a settlement amount to avoid litigation,” NagraStar explains.

The company says that these settlements are needed to recoup the losses it suffers from these pirate IPTV services. The demands aren’t cheap either. Pirate subscribers typically get a settlement offer of $3,500 while resellers of unauthorized IPTV subscriptions have to cough up $7,500.

NagraStar knows that many of the targeted subscribers may not realize that they are doing something wrong. However, on paper there appears to be little clemency, aside from the offer to pay the settlement in monthly installments for those who can’t afford to pay at once.

In addition, people who are willing to hand over illicit streaming devices or pirate set-top boxes can get a discount. The same is true for those who are willing to give up their credentials to piracy forums, which NagraStar will likely use to gather further intel.

The company stresses that its letters are not a scam. Ignoring a settlement demand isn’t wise either, it states, noting that the case will then be escalated to its legal team.

“Choosing to ignore this letter will result in your referral to our legal team. This usually leads to a lawsuit, which results in a judgment that is public record,” NagraStar writes.

“In court, every illegal purchase made can carry a hefty fine of up to $10,000. It is in your best interest, as well as NagraStar’s, to settle this matter outside of court with a pre-suit settlement offer to avoid heavy fines and to keep this matter confidential.”

This threatening language is self-serving, of course, and aimed at motivating people to pay up. That said, the risk of a lawsuit is indeed legitimate. NagraStar has previously filed several lawsuits against vendors and individual pirates.

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Re: DISH is sending Demand Letters (up to $7500) to IPTV 'subscribers'

Post by tvroadmin » Wed Jun 12, 2019 11:02 pm

If anyone is considering hiring a lawyer to defend themselves, forget it. These bastards will take your money AND work against your interests. The first thing you should do is FIRE your lawyer.

Anyone who hires a lawyer is a fool. Learn more.

[youtube]duRrhWF5ou4[/youtube]

You iptv guys being sued basically have two options. One, pay the settlement and move on. Two, register and fund an organization to defend the interests of the iptv subscribers. Then counter sue the executives at DISH, NAGRA, their private investigators and the law firms and lawyers and even the apprentices mailing out the letters and involved in this massive extortion scam. Once you got them on the ropes, you'll see how quickly this scam will blow over and go away. But, for this to work, you'll need to find a guy like Eustace Mullins (see video above) who tells it like it really is and will stick it to them.

Unfortunately, nothing else will work. Good luck to all affected and consider switching to C Band Satellite where there are no scams or swindles, no demand letters or lawsuits, no compressed video and buffering, just PURE HD MASTER FEEDS!
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Re: DISH is sending Demand Letters (up to $7500) to IPTV 'subscribers'

Post by dishcrank » Thu Jun 13, 2019 12:53 am

Confirmed by Cord Cutters News.



Starts at around 8:00. Rocket IPTV and SetTV subscribers in USA and Canada are getting the letters. Vaders went down a couple of weeks ago and may also have gotten pinched by the powers that be. I guess the providers are not going to sit around and get ripped off anymore. It appears IPTV users are getting dinged with a $3500 fine and resellers getting hit with $7500. These fines will add up fast for people who had multiple accounts.

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Re: DISH is sending Demand Letters (up to $7500) to IPTV 'subscribers'

Post by Victoria » Fri Jun 14, 2019 4:36 am

tvroadmin wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 10:15 pm
Victoria wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:52 am
If I got one of these letters it would go straight to the shredder. :dancer:
In that case, DISH/NAGRA follow up with a lawsuit in your jurisdiction. They typically sue a few hundred people at a time, which makes it very economical for them to do. If you own any assets like a house, car, 401K or any other illiquid assets, you will have to defend the lawsuit or they will get a default judgement against you and try to seize those assets. Even if you don't own anything, they can get a court order to garnish your wages or social security. You can only ignore their letter if you are a complete deadbeat.
Victoria wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:52 am
Dish Network can take their scammy letters and get bent.
Somehow I don't think it will be them bending over, but rather, it will be you doing the bending if your name shows up on one of their seized lists. This has been going on for many years, the difference now is they are going after iptv subscribers.
I'm a millenial, you really think I can afford to own a house? The boomers and Chinese already bought up all the property. Also, I stash assets in crypto. Good luck taking my Monero Uncle Sam!

I don't work a 9-5 job and I get income from a variety of methods that don't allow the government to get its paws on it unless I want them to.

BTW, I like bending over :wink:

But you're right as far as getting linear TV channels for free, C-band is certainly the way to go. These folks paying for these crappy IPTV streams are not the sharpest knives in the drawer. I'd never even heard of this crap before you posted this thread :hehehe:

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Re: DISH is sending Demand Letters (up to $7500) to IPTV 'subscribers'

Post by tvroadmin » Fri Jun 14, 2019 8:08 pm

DISH/NAGRA lawyers will likely do a title search on your address. It doesn't cost them much and they will only proceed with a lawsuit if you own your property, since they can place a lien on said property if they win their case. If you don't own and rent instead, don't bother responding. It is unlikely that they will hire private investigators to track down your other assets. Too risky and too expensive. They are going after the low hanging fruit first.

What they should be doing is fixing their smart card / ird security instead, so there wouldn't be a global, industrial scale iptv piracy problem of programmer's content in the first place. If I were a program supplier, I would distribute my product through other providers that take content security seriously and don't intimidate potential customers with extortion tactics and lawsuits.
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Re: DISH is sending Demand Letters (up to $7500) to IPTV 'subscribers'

Post by Blackloz » Tue Jun 18, 2019 3:04 am

Dishnetwork and Bell call everyone else thieves but they are the biggest thieves. Instead of hiring technicians to stop their worldwide piracy problem, they hire hundreds of private investigators and lawyers to demand money and send lawsuits to everyone. Bell also operates satfix.to where they daily promote iks/iptv piracy and later demand money from those who took their bait. Anyone can check, even RCMP. :sweating

Originally when I learned about all the illegal iptv on another forum I thought hackers were behind it. Then I started to ask why Bell and Dish didn't do anything about it for years. This was crazy, like the department store leaving the back door open every night so people can rob them. Now with the demands and lawsuits it is starting to make sense. This is an inside job by Nagra to make money at the expense of everyone else. Like the store defrauding the insurance company. :frown

DO NOT PAY THEM A PENNY.

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