In a landmark case, five members of an illegal streaming gang have been ordered by the court to return their profits, amounting to £3.75m. The group was previously sentenced for illegally streaming Premier League games, marking one of the world's largest piracy sentencings.
Mark Gould, identified as the driving force behind the illegal streaming service Flawless TV, along with four other members were sentenced in May 2023. Their collective prison sentence exceeded 30 years - a testament to the severity of their crimes.
The business model they operated involved over 50,000 customers and resellers and employed around 30 people. Between 2016 and 2021, this operation generated more than £7m.
Consequences for criminal activities
Gould was initially sentenced to serve an eleven-year term in prison but faced additional consequences this week when Derby Crown Court ordered him to forfeit his criminal proceeds and return £2.35m within three months or face an additional ten-year prison sentence. Similar proceedings have been initiated against four other defendants from the case who were collectively ordered to pay back more than £1.4m or risk extended prison sentences as well. The total sum of £3.75m is notably the second-largest figure ever ordered in the UK against operators of an illegal streaming service.
The confiscated money will be redistributed back into public funds with half going towards Treasury and half being allocated among bodies involved in prosecution such as courts, prosecuting authority and financial investigators.
This sentencing followed a rare private prosecution by Premier League supported by several organisations including Hammersmith & Fulham Council's Trading Standards team and FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft), an intellectual property protection organisation. This case serves as a stern warning to anyone tempted to commit similar offences. The severity of the punishment meted out in this case should act as a deterrent against sports piracy, which has been on the rise with the increasing popularity of online streaming.
The Premier League's proactive stance against illegal streaming and its commitment to protecting intellectual property rights is commendable. This landmark case sends a clear message about the potential consequences of engaging in such activities, thereby safeguarding the interests of sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike.
