Maxi operation against illegal streaming

Illegal streaming, maxi operation of the State Police against audiovisual piracy aimed at contrasting the phenomenon of illegal IP TV. The measures were carried out in various Italian cities and more than 200 specialists from 11 regional compartments of the Postal Police were employed in the operation (Catania, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Bari, Naples, Ancona, Rome, Cagliari, Milan, Florence, Venice) which, operating in the territory of 18 provinces, dismantled the complex criminal infrastructure, both from an organizational and technological point of view. The Catania District Prosecutor’s Office coordinated in-depth investigations, lasting several months, in the matter of audiovisual piracy aimed at combating the phenomenon of illegal IP TVs, delegated to the Postal and Communications Police which had reported the existence of a complex technological infrastructure operating at national and responsible for the dissemination via the Internet, through numerous sites, of the illegally captured signal of numerous pay TV content platforms (Sky; DAZN; Mediaset; Netflix etc.). Catania Postal and Communications Police with the coordination of the Rome Postal and Communications Police Service has made it possible to identify the sources from which the pirated signal is distributed. crimes in formatici (G 2) contested n. 45 investigated the crime of criminal association aimed at committing the crimes of unauthorized access to an IT system protected by security measures (615 ter aggravated criminal code), of computer fraud aggravated by the enormous damage caused (art. 640 ter of the criminal code) and of abusive reproduction and dissemination via the Internet of works protected by copyright and intellectual property (art. 171 ter law no. 633/1941). An important “power plant” has been identified in the city of Messina, its deactivation and seizure has pointed out that it managed about 80% of the illegal IPTV flow in Italy.The criminal association is based on a pyramid scheme and sees the synergistic work of different subjects who, although not personally known to each other, firmly link to build the various pieces of the illicit structure. In this way, the contents protected by copyright are first purchased lawfully, as a digital signal, by the top management of the organization (the so-called “Sources”) and, subsequently, through the preparation of a complex technical and organizational infrastructure, they are transformed into computer data and conveyed into audio / video streams, transmitted through a dense criminal framework to a capillary network of retailers and end users , equipped with home internet connection and equipment suitable for reception (the now known “Pezzotto”). The complex investigations, carried out by the Postal Police of Catania, from the first investigations had highlighted the presence on Telegram, in various social networks and in various bot sites, channels, groups, accounts, forums, blogs and profiles that advertised the sale, on the national territory, of accesses for the illegal streaming of paid content via IPTV of the most well-known platforms. computer analysis, documentary, bank feedback and observation and stalking services. ions was seized numerous computer material as well as the servers and illegal devices used for connections and broadcasting activities of streaming. In the homes of some of the suspects, cash for tens of thousands of euros was seized, considered to be the proceeds of illicit activity.The illegal IPTV is a complex and very insidious criminal world, whose size and danger are not always prudent and whose dangerousness is also dictated by the possible use of the proceeds towards new criminal methods much more damaging to the interests of citizens. The fraudulent activity that consists of about 1,500,000 users, who pay € 10 per month, has produced a volume business for crime equal to € 15,000,000 per month, and at the same time resulted in a much higher loss of income for pay TV service providers.In common opinion it is believed that after all, using a pirate system is not a crime , at most, little money is taken away from a communication giant. But if you look at the phenomenon in its complexity, and not only in its single use, you realize that in reality this is not the case, an entire production system is in crisis. The cities affected by the searches were Rome (15), Catania (6), Messina (5), Syracuse (1), Bari (1), Taranto (2), Fermo (1), Verona (1), Palermo (1), Agrigento (1), Naples (2), Caserta (3), Salerno (1), Pisa (1), Pistoia (1), Milan (1), Potenza (1), Cagliari (1).