• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Some prominent Kodi addons are being pulled due to legal threat

Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
http://www.redmondpie.com/kodi-phoenix-addon-error-is-because-its-gone-after-zemtv-tvaddons-lawsuit/

On Monday, it became known that third-party Kodi add-on ZemTV and the TVAddons library were being sued in a federal court in Texas. The complaint was filed by satellite and broadcast TV provider Dish Network, with both of the accused in the dock for copyright infringement, and with a potential fine of up to $150,000 for each offense. That’s bad news for them, and bad news for other add-on makers, too.

It is believed that this lawsuit is the reason other add-ons are being pulled, with developers wary of the cost not only of potential fines, but also the legal fees associated with defending a case. Phoenix is one such add-on to fall by the wayside.

“In light of current events we have decided to close down Phoenix. This is not something that was easy for us to do; we have all formed a bond that cannot be broken as a team and have a HUGE support base that we are thankful of,” Phoenix developer Cosmix writes.

Other prominent developers have also followed the same path, removing their work from the community and stating that the current situation is the reason. It stands to reason that the situation they speak of is the one that could see large fines slapped on add-on makers in Texas.
Click to expand...

I don't have a Kodi box, but I know people that do and apparently this was one of the big addons. Ruh roh.

I would have thought the people with the balls to do this kind of stuff would be unreachable in another country or something.
 
L

louiedog

Member
I love Kodi and they've been worried about becoming a target due to addons like these as well as the sale of piracy boxes preloaded with Kodi and them. It might ultimately be good for the software if they don't get dragged into these lawsuits.
 
B

br3wnor

Member
I'm amazed it took this long. The amount of people I know who have gotten the Kodi sticks and are using them to pirate is astounding especially since many of them are not tech savvy at all. It's dangerous for the big media companies because of how easy to use it is, eventually the gravy train has to end.
 
M

megarockexe

Member
Yeah, finally something starts to happen. I know some well-off people who are commodifying the use of Kodi for piracy. It's awful how much it spread already.
 
A

Anoregon

The flight plan I just filed with the agency list me, my men, Dr. Pavel here. But only one of you!
Half the people I work with have fire sticks they use almost exclusively for Exodus on kodi, which uses tvaddons. I guess that's over.
 
spons

spons

Gold Member
These addons certainly ruin the Kodi brand. Referring to these pre-installed on a system as a "Kodi Box" is just terrible in every regard.
 
E

Eye for an Eye

Member
Hahaha. My neighbor just bought a Kodi box for $75 because another neighbor has one. I hope I don't have to listen to him blaring baseball games for the world to hear any longer.
 
K

kendrid

Banned
These Kodi Boxes are for sale in our local Facebook garage sale groups daily. I just don't get people openly selling illegal devices on social media.

It reminds me of when people used to buy hacked DirecTV boxes. That didn't last long.
 
M

Marty Chinn

Member
Are these add ons made specifically to get illegal streams or are they legit add ons that people are using for legit purposes? Sort of like how Kodi is legal and legit but people using add ons for illegal reasons.
 
M

Man Called Aerodynamics

Member
br3wnor said:
I'm amazed it took this long. The amount of people I know who have gotten the Kodi sticks and are using them to pirate is astounding especially since many of them are not tech savvy at all.
Click to expand...

Same here. A bunch of people at my work love Kodi and love to talk about how Kodi is not illegal, which is of course technically true, but a meaningless statement when 100% of what they actually use Kodi for is streaming pirated content.
 
L

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
Marty Chinn said:
Are these add ons made specifically to get illegal streams or are they legit add ons that people are using for legit purposes? Sort of like how Kodi is legal and legit but people using add ons for illegal reasons.
Click to expand...
They sell them in a local shopping mall - I see their stand there all the time. I'd say they openly advertise with illegal stuff. For example, they had a Beauty and the Beast (new one) running on one of the TVs just a few days after it was out in the cinemas.
 
S

SwipeLeftHoney

Banned
Marty Chinn said:
Are these add ons made specifically to get illegal streams or are they legit add ons that people are using for legit purposes? Sort of like how Kodi is legal and legit but people using add ons for illegal reasons.
Click to expand...

The add-ons are made for illegal streams specifically. There are legitimate add-ons but most people know of the free easy to install add-ons that let you watch anything to your hearts content.
 
R

Rockandrollclown

lookwhatyou'vedone
Dammit. Spectrum upgraded my DVR software and like half the shit I was saving for the Summer wasteland no longer works. Exodus was going to be my failsafe.
 
K

Kthulhu

Member
Are these add-ons specifically for piracy, or were people just using them to pirate stuff?

Edit: never mind. No sympathy for pirates. It's not like these shows and movies weren't readily available.
 
A

Anoregon

The flight plan I just filed with the agency list me, my men, Dr. Pavel here. But only one of you!
Kthulhu said:
Are these add-ons specifically for piracy, or were people just using them to pirate stuff?

Edit: never mind. No sympathy for pirates. It's not like these shows and movies weren't readily available.
Click to expand...

They are pretty much for piracy. A super easy, fast, and convenient (and safer for the user) alternative to torrents
 
S

SwipeLeftHoney

Banned
Kthulhu said:
Why even bother making this software? Do the devs get something out of it?
Click to expand...

My guess is add revenue? No clue... someone with better knowledge can better answer this I'm sure. You had access to pretty much every television show ever made through these add-ons though.
 
E

Entropia

No One Remembers
Kthulhu said:
Are these add-ons specifically for piracy, or were people just using them to pirate stuff?

Edit: never mind. No sympathy for pirates. It's not like these shows and movies weren't readily available.
Click to expand...

Yeah they are pretty much 100% for piracy... new movies, TV shows, sports, etc.
 
G

ghostjoke

Banned
I really wish Kodi and this crap weren't becoming so synonymous. I like not having to pour through Blu Rays but worry about the future of the software for locally ripped files.

I also wonder what happens to the people who buy these "Kodi Boxes" when things like this go down. I assume most of them have no clue about the back-end that gives them free stuff.
 
n0razi

n0razi

Member
Im the "tech guy" of my family and literally every aunt/uncle/cousin I know has asked me about "this kodi thing that plays free movies, how do I get it?"


I show them my nvidia Shield (Playstaion Vue/Netflix/Prime) setup and they are like... "$200 AND $80 a month?!? No thanks!"
 
B

Borgnine

MBA in pussy licensing and rights management
Well shit what am I supposed to use to watch useless shitty ass fucking stuttering streams now?
 
K

Kthulhu

Member
n0razi said:
Im the "tech guy" of my family and literally every aunt/uncle/cousin I know has asked me about "this kodi thing that plays free movies, how do I get it?"


I show them my nvidia Shield (Playstaion Vue/Netflix/Prime) setup and they are like... "$200 AND $80 a month?!? No thanks!"
Click to expand...

Tell them to get a Chromecast instead.
 
A

adamantypants

Member
I think Kodi as a company are in the clear. They issue plenty of warning that add-ons like those aren't from Kodi and are specifically 3rd party. Doesn't change the fact that Kodi and piracy go hand-in-hand tho
 
K

Kthulhu

Member
kswiston said:
Most of the people I know that buy these things already have Cable or Netflix. They buy them to steal premium content: HBO stuff, Sports, movies still in theatres, etc.
Click to expand...

Then they should pay for them like adults. They aren't broke highschool students trying to watch anime.
 
C

Chesskid1

Banned
i remember trying to learn about kodi to setup my media center and most people just cared about kodi for it's streaming piracy addons i noticed, like lots of people think kodi is actually just a piracy box, not a legitimate program.

i've seen people use streaming kodi boxes and not even realize it was illegal, it was just free tv shows/movies. i suppose they thought it was some magical hulu or something.
 
B

broncobuster

Banned
I messed with Kodi steaming last year when friends asked for help in streaming foreign channels, and while I'm sure that's all questionable as well, it was astounding how they offer up ways to easily pirate content.

I just assumed Kodi was a versatile media player I used on raspberry pi.
 
S

SwipeLeftHoney

Banned
Chesskid1 said:
i remember trying to learn about kodi to setup my media center and most people just cared about kodi for it's streaming piracy addons i noticed, like lots of people think kodi is actually just a piracy box, not a legitimate program.
Click to expand...

I hear you. Kodi is loaded with plenty of stuff that are legal but all anyone really wants to hear is FREE TV....
 
S

SwipeLeftHoney

Banned
Proteus said:
In Canada? There is zero content.

That's the problem with being in Canada. A lot of these services I am willing to pay for are not provided.
Click to expand...

That sucks... I currently use Netflix, Amazon Prime (which is still kinda shitty) and an OTA Antennae (I pick up 47 HD channels from my current setup).
 
K

kswiston

Member
Proteus said:
In Canada? There is zero content.

That's the problem with being in Canada. A lot of these services I am willing to pay for are not provided.
Click to expand...

If you don't care about waiting 6-12 months from air dates, Netflix + CraveTV covers the majority of TV stuff. I have Amazon Prime as well, but I have never tried Prime TV.

I wish we had actual HBO Go though.
 
E

Enter The 36 Chambers

Member
All my friends, co workers family etc use a chromecast and an app I won't name to watch all tv shows and new films. I mean it's piracy but it's so widespread it'll never stop.

It's rampant here.
 
M

Metalmarc

Member
Uk here I have Netflix and Amazon and Now TV yet there is still a TON of content missing though,Theres also Sky TV in this house too and still stuff i wanna watch i cant find or is way to ridicolously expensive.

Think i May go back to physical media all over again.
 
S

SwordStruck

Member
Chesskid1 said:
i remember trying to learn about kodi to setup my media center and most people just cared about kodi for it's streaming piracy addons i noticed, like lots of people think kodi is actually just a piracy box, not a legitimate program.
Click to expand...

Yep, been using Kodi to run my media center for a while now to manage and play my blu-ray library. There's a lot more it offers than just the ability to install plugins that offer pirated content.
 
Allforce

Allforce

Member
I know so many people who use these boxes and 99% of them completely unsavvy when it comes to tech. They are always so excited to post how they watched Guardians of the Galaxy 2 or the new Aliens movie (or whatever else is brand new in theaters) at home the previous night with the kids.

There's no fear of punishment, most don't even think it's shady and that they're actually sold by cable companies. I think the biggest selling poinst is that they're wife-friendly which means it's easy to cut their 140 dollar cable bill and still keep her happy.
 
P

pompidu

Member
Chesskid1 said:
i remember trying to learn about kodi to setup my media center and most people just cared about kodi for it's streaming piracy addons i noticed, like lots of people think kodi is actually just a piracy box, not a legitimate program.

i've seen people use streaming kodi boxes and not even realize it was illegal, it was just free tv shows/movies. i suppose they thought it was some magical hulu or something.
Click to expand...

Used it for awhile to stream stuff I've had backed up, but it doesn't work with PS4.
So I tried Plex and that worked ok. but, overall , I don't like leaving my PC on 24/7 and Netflix has just made me lazy.
 
S

Sanjay

Member
This won't affect torrent based apps like Exodus but TV broadcast over Iptv. More them type of apps will take a hit.
 
T

tuffy

Member
NOLA_Gaffer said:
Can someone explain to a laymen that doesn't know what Kodi is what's going on here?
Click to expand...
Kodi is a full-screen video/audio playing program. You can point it at content on your hard drive and/or file server, and it plays it. Kodi also supports addons. Some of those addons, not built or supported by Kodi, can be used to play pirated content. People have been selling boxes preinstalled with Kodi and piracy addons, which gives Kodi a bad name. But now some of those piracy addons are being shut down.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

The man who owes Nintendo $14m: Gary Bowser and gaming’s most infamous piracy case
2
85
5K
SHA replied
FTC Seeks to Block Microsoft Corp’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard
31 32 33 34 35
2K
127K
//DEVIL// replied
  • Poll
PLAYSTATION 6: Potential Innovations, Features, Business Strategies & More (Speculation)
Opinion Analysis Platform 2 3 4
182
15K
thicc_girls_are_teh_best replied
Starfield Q&A on Discord Details
15
2K
balls of snow replied
Starfield Devs Q&A Session
37
3K
Hendrick's replied
Top Bottom