
Maria Edgeworth
Partner | Legal
Ireland

Maria Edgeworth
Partner
Ireland
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The Irish High Court has ordered the operator of an illegal streaming service to pay €480,000 in damages to Sky UK Limited, signalling tougher consequences for copyright infringement, illegal sports streaming and unauthorised violation of broadcasting rights in Ireland.
The ruling underscores the courts' continued robust approach to protecting copyright holders' broadcasting rights and combating unauthorised streaming of premium content through illicit streaming platforms and devices. With the operator found to have profited extensively from the unauthorised distribution of content, facilitating illegal access to live sports, this Irish court decision is a clear warning to those engaging in copyright infringement and highlights the growing legal and financial risks associated with supplying or using unauthorised streaming services in Ireland.
The Irish High Court has made an order for the operator of an illegal streaming platform to pay €480,000 in damages and approximately €100,000 in legal fees to Sky UK Limited for copyright infringement. Sky alleged that the operator, Mr Dunbar, earned up to €450,000 annually by facilitating illegal content distribution, providing thousands of people with unauthorised access to Sky's content since 2018 via “dodgy boxes” or "TV sticks". These devices are pre-loaded with unauthorised apps to stream live sports events. They enable unauthorised access to Sky’s subscriber content, resulting in significant lost revenue for Sky and a diminution in the value of the broadcasting rights licenced by sports organisations, such as the Premier League, for Sky to broadcast.
Beyond the monetary award, the High Court noted that Mr Dunbar had breached court orders in respect to evidence preservation and assets freezing, which may indicate aggravated circumstances in this case. Presiding judge Mr Justice Sanfey reserved judgment relating to an attachment and committal order which could lead to imprisonment.
The Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 (the Act) is central to Ireland’s approach to protecting broadcasting rights and content distribution. It aims to protect rights holders by awarding protection against reproduction, distribution or broadcasting of their materials. Notably, section 37 of the Act protects a rights holder’s right to broadcast or send their work and makes it an infringement for another party to release material via unauthorised streaming platforms or distribution channels.
Part VII of Act also makes it an offence to bypass technological protective measures to conduct illegal copying or unauthorised access to a copyright holders' data. For example, the provision of dodgy boxes that are used to illegally stream copyrighted works is also an offence under the Act.
Supplying illegal devices, circumventing protections copyright holders have on their materials and unauthorised streaming on these devices are all considered breaches of the Act.
This recent High Court decision is just one of many cases that have made their way through the courts in Ireland, spotlighting a clamp down on the illegal copyright infringements.
In June 2025, the Circuit Court in Trim, Co. Meath, jailed Mr Daniel Oleskow for three years for selling dodgy boxes from his shop Mediatech in Navan, Co. Meath. In this case, Mr Oleskow was charged with copyright breaches for selling these devices, which represented lost revenue of over €700,000 for Sky.
In The Football Association Premier League Limited v Eircom and others, originally before the court in 2019, the Premier League successfully obtained live blocking injunctions against five key Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This decision compels ISPs to block any illegal Premier League streams during live events. The live blocking injunctions granted in 2019 have been renewed by the Irish High Court since then. This is an attempt to reduce revenue loss associated with illegal streaming of live games and follows a similar decision of the UK High Court in 2018.
The Irish High Court's enthusiasm to combat copyright infringements was further highlighted in the recent UK decision of Sky UK Ltd v British Telecommunications Plc & Ors [2023]. In this case, Sky sought and were granted a blocking order that would allow them to apply blocking measures at times and for periods of their choosing. The UK High Court noted that this was a departure from the usual orders sought which were specifically targeted at valuable content such as live sporting events.
Broadcasters and streaming platforms can enhance their copyright protection by actively monitoring their content for unauthorised access, deploying advanced technological safeguards and promptly enforcing their rights through legal action when infringements occur. By staying proactive and vigilant, rights holders can better safeguard their valuable content and mitigate the risks associated with copyright infringement, whether via illegal streaming platforms or other unauthorised channels.
To discuss how Ogier can assist with protecting your content, pursuing remedies or mitigating risks in light of recent judicial developments in Ireland, contact our Dispute Resolution team in Dublin via their contact details below.
Ogier is a professional services firm with the knowledge and expertise to handle the most demanding and complex transactions and provide expert, efficient and cost-effective services to all our clients. We regularly win awards for the quality of our client service, our work and our people.
This client briefing has been prepared for clients and professional associates of Ogier. The information and expressions of opinion which it contains are not intended to be a comprehensive study or to provide legal advice and should not be treated as a substitute for specific advice concerning individual situations.
Regulatory information can be found under Legal Notice
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