A court in Argentina has ordered the blocking of all websites from the audio-visual piracy network Magis TV to be blocked, also demanding Google prevent the downloading and use of the firm’s app on its Android operating system, according to sources.
“Courts have ordered the blocking [of Magis TV] in Argentina,” prosecutor Alejandro Musso confirmed to the AFP news agency, highlighting the ruling as “unprecedented.”
He said that the blocking of the firm’s app being downloaded would be backed by the disabling of Magis TV streams for those who have already installed the app on their phones.
The ruling was delivered by San Isidro Judge Esteban Rossignoli, following an investigation by the Cybercrime prosecution in the Unit Specialising in Cybercrimes (UFEM). Motivated by a complaint from the Alliance Against Audiovisual Piracy (Alianza), it was part of “Operation 404” – a case starting in Brazil which was linked to another investigation being carried out in Argentina.
Magis TV “provides absolutely all paid content from all platforms” illegally, stated prosecutor Musso, pointing out that users can play audio-visual content from lawful programmers and distributors.
“It has had a strong presence throughout Latin America, but especially in Central America, for over 10 years now,” accumulating 55 million views, Musso claimed.
The app is accessed by downloading it from websites and then paying a monthly subscription, or else by paying once through a device connected to the television – a “TV box"– with the service already installed, as explained by the prosecutor. In Argentina the price for the device with the platform is US$50.
Musso specified that there was mass movement towards this type of physical platforms after two months ago the main illegal pages rebroadcasting the national football league of the Qatar 2022 World Cup champions for free were blocked.
Three people were arrested on Thursday in Argentina, accused of intellectual property infringement and linked to this investigation.
The case was pushed by a report by the Alliance against Audio-visual Piracy, which for months accumulated evidence to prove that Magis TV was illegal and promoted piracy, its president Jorge Bacaloni told Infobae, which gave the scoop for the court ruling.
– TIMES/AFP
Comments