Ari Alibhai appeared on behalf of the Premier League in the successful prosecution of Michael Barrow, the operator of the illegal IPTV service "MB Streams", who was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court to three years and two months' imprisonment for offences arising from the unlawful supply of access to Premier League matches and other premium broadcast content. The prosecution was undertaken by the Premier League and supported by FACT and the TARIAN Regional Organised Crime Unit.
The court heard that Barrow sold illegal IPTV subscriptions and pre-loaded Firesticks to almost 2,000 customers, generating more than £200,000 through the operation and resulting in potential losses to the legitimate broadcast industry running into several million pounds. Despite receiving a cease-and-desist notice, he continued the offending and adopted increasingly sophisticated measures to avoid detection. In sentencing, the judge described the operation as a "large scale, highly sophisticated and prolonged commercial fraud".
Ari Alibhai has acted in several significant prosecutions concerning unlawful access to Premier League content, including cases involving large-scale IPTV providers and suppliers of modified Fire TV devices.
Read the Premier League’s statement: https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4672515/premier-league-statement-man-sentenced-to-prison-for-supplying-illegal-streaming-services-and-loaded-firesticks
This case has been reported in the national press: