IPTV or Internet Protocol Television is a catch-all term that refers to services that provide access to TV via an internet connection. In a world where convenience comes first, online streaming and VOD (video on demand) are popular types of IPTV used to watch your favorite TV shows and movies.
Rather than using analog signals to provide users with a set schedule of TV, IPTV is a form of on-demand access, allowing viewers to watch what they want, when they want.
IPTV services use servers to store content, so it doesn’t have to be broadcasted at specific times like traditional TV. But, is IPTV legal?
Is IPTV Legal?
If you’re wondering whether IPTV is legal or not, the short answer is yes. However, the long answer is that it can be quite complex. IPTV itself is legal, but not all IPTV services are.
For example, legal IPTV services like Hulu, YouTube, and Sling abide by the correct copyright laws. With this, if a service provider doesn’t hold the correct licenses for the content it provides, then it is considered illegal.
For every show available via a legal IPTV, the service must adhere to intellectual property laws and obtain a license. Often, IPTV services come at a cost through the form of a monthly or annual subscription.
However, this doesn’t imply that all free IPTV services are illegal. Although, in most cases, you’ll need to pay for it.
IPTV Laws
In 1998, the United States established the Digital Millennium Copyright Act with the goal of discouraging services like IPTV from providing copyrighted content via the internet, without the correct licenses, by imposing fines and penalties.
(1) establishing protections for online service providers in certain situations if their users engage in copyright infringement, including by creating the notice-and-takedown system, which allows copyright owners to inform online service providers about infringing material so it can be taken down; (2) encouraging copyright owners to give greater access to their works in digital formats by providing them with legal protections against unauthorized access to their works (for example, hacking passwords or circumventing encryption)
While IPTV services were punishable for providing illegal content, there were not many penalties to users who willfully streamed copyrighted material.
However, this changed with the introduction of the Protecting Lawful Streaming Act of 2020, which allows the Department of Justice to impose felony charges upon illegal IPTV services. This act significantly increases the criminal penalties for those who illegally stream such content.
Alternatively, the Copyright Act protects works like music, films, and art, ensuring individuals and services cannot use content without the owner’s permission in Canada.
In 2019, the Notice and Notice regime was updated to ensure copyright holders couldn’t directly fine or ask for payment if an ISP identified a user to be downloading or streaming illegal content.
However, illegal IPTV users can still be open to prosecution if found to be willingly using illegal IPTV services.
Are You Watching Illegal IPTV Streams?
If you’re worried about your streaming subscriptions, rest assured that well-known IPTV services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu are legal IPTV providers. However, identifying an illegal IPTV service can be tricky.
In most cases, a legal IPTV service can be identified by its reputation alone. While not all services are subscription-based or paid for, many illegal IPTV services are priced significantly lower than legal ones. Because illegal IPTV service providers don’t have to pay for production costs or licensing, they are often cheaper or even free.
Although Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are becoming an increasingly popular method of payment for genuine services, illegal IPTV providers tend to opt for this method of payment due to their hard-to-trace nature.
Another telltale sign of an illegal IPTV service is the quality of the content. Obtaining content through illegal means can typically result in lower-quality video and audio streams.
Alongside this, illegal IPTV services tend to sway towards adding pop-ups, adverts, and fake buttons that open external links.
Why You Should Avoid Illegal IPTV
While it can be easy to put the blame on illegal IPTV service providers for breaking the law, users of these services also put themselves at risk in different ways.
Aside from the obvious moral obligation not to watch illegal IPTV, there are several more sinister reasons to avoid these services, including:
- By providing illegal IPTV services with your credit card details, you have no control over who obtains those details. Similarly, you have no reassurance that you will receive the IPTV services you paid for.
- Illegal IPTV services could harvest your data and sell it to hackers, opening yourself up to potential scams.
- Illegitimate streaming sites may infect your devices with viruses and malware. These often come in the form of download links, fake play buttons, and pop-up ads.
- If your ISP detects you are streaming illegal content or using an illegal IPTV service, they could disable or cancel your services.
Support Legal IPTV Providers
Granted, not being able to access certain TV shows, movies, or music in your country can be frustrating, especially when others are raving about the latest hit show.
However, the consequences of indulging in illegal IPTV certainly aren’t worth it for most people. Thankfully, there are plenty of legitimate, legal IPTV providers around, which are ready to offer you content obtained legally and licensed for you to enjoy.
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