After years in operation, Canada-based IPTV provider SmoothStreams was shut down in July by Bell Media, Rogers, and members of MPA-Canada. An interim order was obtained to keep the service down and, among other things, compel its alleged operators to reveal who else was involved in the operation. Both stand accused of contempt of court for alleged non-compliance.

When SmoothStreams disappeared offline mid-July, subscribers to the service went through the usual cycle of assumptions. From temporary technical problems to a full-blown law enforcement raid, no one seemed to know anything for sure.

Over the next two weeks, a picture began to emerge. SmoothStreams had been raided but not as part of any criminal action. A month earlier, Bell Media, Rogers Media, Disney, Paramount, Columbia, and Warner Bros. had filed a copyright infringement complaint at Canada’s Federal Court.

They allege that Marshall Macciacchera and Antonio Macciacchera (son and father respectively) are the owners and operators of SmoothStreams.tv and several additional platforms, including live247.tv, StreamTVNow.tv and StarStreams.tv. According to the plaintiffs, these platforms enabled subscribers to access large volumes of live TV channels and movies, in violation of their rights.

The rest of this article can be read on TorrentFreak.com

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