A 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of selling an illegal streaming service following a targeted operation by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police. The arrest took place during the early hours of 15 October 2024 at a residential address in Wolverhampton.
He added, “The message of this operation is clear: if you sell illegal streaming services, you will be caught and held accountable for your actions.”
Economic and Employment Impact
The Intellectual Property Office estimates that counterfeiting and piracy result in an annual loss of £9 billion to the UK economy, costing around 80,000 jobs each year.
Matt Hibbert, Group Director of Anti-Piracy at Sky, commented:
“When people illegally stream, they provide their personal information to criminals, and the risks are very real. We are grateful to PIPCU for leading this action and will continue our efforts to protect our content and help keep consumers safe.”
Ongoing Investigation
West Midlands Police supported PIPCU officers during the search operations. The suspect has since been released under investigation as enquiries continue.
