LaLiga has just announced its participation in another action against the fight against audiovisual fraud and the use of illegal content through various initiatives and legal actions. In this case, after months of work between more than a dozen countries and private companies, coordinated by the Republic of Bulgaria and led by Europol, a network that illegally provided and distributed content to more than 22 million users have been dismantled worldwide.
‘Operation Kratos’, which took place this year between early July and mid-September, brought together police forces and authorities from member and non-member states of the European Union, EU agencies and private digital content companies. The operation was carried out in the context of the celebration of large-scale sporting events this summer, such as UEFA EURO 2024 and the Olympic Games, with the main objective of combating digital piracy in the form of publication, distribution and dissemination of digital content subject to on copyright and related rights.
During the operation, they managed to dismantle one of the largest illegal streaming networks operating inside and outside the EU. Information of operational interest is exchanged in relation to the identification of illegal streaming platforms, the documentation of crimes and the identification of groups of perpetrators of these criminal acts. The investigation, focused on the illegal distribution of materials from streaming services, including movies, series and television channels (including sports), identified 102 suspects, 11 of whom were arrested.
More than 112 raids were conducted
Thus, it was discovered that the network illegally distributes more than 2,500 television channels and reaches more than 22 million users worldwide without the permission of the rights owners. During the operation, more than 112 raids were conducted, at least 29 servers and 270 IPTV devices were seized, as well as 100 domains related to illegal activities. As a result, more than 560 resellers of the pirated service were identified, drugs and weapons were seized in the searches and cryptocurrencies worth almost 1.6 million euros were confiscated, as well as 40,000 euros in cash.
A total of 15 countries participated
15 countries participated in the operation, including Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, with the support of Europol, Eurojust and AAPA, which was key to the coordination of the action. In other countries, cases regarding illegal platforms where protected content subject to intellectual property rights were broadcast were initiated or concluded respectively (Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of North Macedonia , Hellenic Republic, Kingdom of Spain, Republic of Latvia, Republic of France, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Republic of Romania, Portugal and others).
On behalf of private rights holders, UEFA, LALIGA, AAPA, MPA and other entities participated in the operation and also contributed timely information to identify illegal content, identify the source of the signal and remove it, using the tools and legal means available to you. .
Operation Kratos is a natural continuation of Operational Action 3.2 within the framework of the priority ‘Crimes against intellectual property, counterfeiting of goods and money’ of the EMPACT platform established by the European Commission and constitutes an important milestone in efforts to combat illegal streaming and illegal IPTV. This operation is an important sign of international cooperation in the fight against digital piracy and illegal trade in counterfeit goods, and demonstrates the commitment of Bulgaria and its partners to protect intellectual property and ensure online security.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
