Two Charged in Pirkanmaa Over Illegal IPTV Service
Two people have been charged in Pirkanmaa for allegedly running an illegal IPTV service that sold access to films and TV channels without licences.
Two people have been charged in Pirkanmaa with operating an illegal IPTV service, prosecutors say. The alleged offences took place between 2021 and 2025 and the case is now before the Pirkanmaa District Court.
Prosecutors allege two separate offences. One involves obtaining viewing and listening credentials from an illegal service and selling them to customers without rights-holders' permission, including packages originally bought for personal use. The other count accuses the suspects of setting up and running an illegal IPTV service that, for a fee, offered dozens of films and television channels without licensing agreements.
Authorities suspect the operations were profit-driven. The case is ongoing and hearing dates have not been set.
Copyright offences in Finland can carry fines or up to two years in prison. Copyright lawyer Herkko Hietanen told YLE that using an illegal IPTV service is not currently a criminal offence for viewers, but lawmakers are planning changes that could criminalise viewing.
Media reporting and enforcement actions suggest the problem is widespread. Helsingin Sanomat, citing Mediavision, recently estimated that about 126,000 Finnish households used illegal IPTV services. Europol-led actions in late 2024 targeted a large illicit IPTV network with millions of alleged users.
Catch the full story over at YLE
