The government inquiry on illegal iptv has now been presented. The inquiry is thorough and includes, among other things, a comprehensive description of how the technology behind illegal iptv works. The inquiry has three main parts: updating the decoding law (Avkodningslagen), a concerted effort from the public sector, and a continued inquiry on blocking live content.
Most attention has been drawn to the proposal to criminalize private use of these illegal services. Streaming copyright-protected material from unlawful sources is already illegal, according to the EU Court of Justice practice. However, the decoding law, which covers media services, has become outdated due to technological development and is made technology-neutral by the proposal.
Other proposed changes include harmonizing the penalties with other intellectual property laws by introducing a provision on serious crime, which could result in up to six years in prison. It is also proposed that the Patent and Market Court hear all cases.
The investigation also proposes that the public sector, such as the Police, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Tax Agency, the Patent and Registration Office, and the Post and Telecom Authority, mount a concerted effort against illegal iptv, and that the government take the initiative to gather representatives from affected companies to see what can be solved through voluntary cooperation.
The proposal is now going out for consultation.
The proposals in the investigation are supported by the film and TV industry and major sports stakeholders. The Swedish Hockey League, SHL, has added a section on illegal iptv on its website, where they wisely note, “We should not feed criminal networks; we should feed the sports we want to watch.”
The Minister of Social Affairs, Jakob Forssmed, responsible for sports issues, writes in a comment to TT: “Both elite and other sports are losing enormous sums today, and law-abiding citizens see their sports subscriptions become more expensive when others buy illegal iptv services, which benefits the criminals. It must be stopped.”
The Minister of Culture, Parisa Liljestrand, says that “Illegal IPTV is a major problem for the Swedish film and TV industry, and for some time we have seen a concerning development where money that should go to companies and creators instead goes straight into the pockets of criminals. The government is therefore very keen to find solutions to counteract this.”