ITV

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  • Finally, US court orders south Asian pirate Jadoo TV to shut down

    Finally, US court orders south Asian pirate Jadoo TV to shut down

    MUMBAI; While Jadoo is  a character we all recall very fondly from the Hrithik Roshan film Koi Mil gaya, the service called Jadoo has been one of the most hated in the world of pay TV. Especially by south Asian broadcasters and platforms in the US. 

    Jadoo TV was one of the most popular providers of pirated south Asian content to global audiences and it distributed its service through Jadoo set-top boxes and its mobile application  way back in the previous decade. Many had tried to have it shuttered, but most had failed. 

    However, yesterday, the International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) announced  that a long-running lawsuit against Jadoo TV. and its US-based CEO, Sajid Sohail, has resulted in a final judgment of $24,969,911 and a permanent injunction against Jadoo TV and Sohail individually. Jadoo TV also agreed to permanently cease all operations worldwide by 22 December  2024.  
     
    Earlier in the case, the court granted summary judgment on all claims against Jadoo TV and Sohail, finding them liable for direct, contributory and vicarious copyright infringement. In that ruling, the court determined that. Sohail was personally liable as the guiding spirit behind the infringement of IBCAP member works.
    The court’s s announcement yesterday  follows years of protracted litigation dating back to November 2018, when IBCAP member Dish  Network initially filed the case. 

    The final judgment entered against Jadoo TV and  Sohail is unique in that it not only recognizes significant statutory damages for registered works ($14,550,000), but also a significant monetary award for unregistered works ($10,419,911). Notably, as part of a separate settlement agreement, Jadoo TV and  Sohail agreed to transfer all Jadoo TV customer lists to Dish, transfer all Jadoo TV trademarks and domain names to Dish , and pay Dish $1,500,000 by 25 February 2025.

    “This final judgment and settlement marks the culmination of a six-year legal battle against one of the most popular South Asian services offering pirated content, Jadoo TV, and its CEO, who was found personally liable for the damages caused by his and his company’s copyright infringement,” said IBCAP executive director  Chris Kuelling, “Today’s announcement sends a strong message that the end of the road for a pirate IPTV service is a significant monetary payment and loss of your entire business.”

    Dish had filed the case in in 2018 when Jadoo set-top boxes were widely available online and in retail stores throughout South Asian communities worldwide, including the US  and Canada.

    The case was coordinated by IBCAP and brought by IBCAP member Dish Network only after Dish and  IBCAP sent numerous notices of copyright infringement. 

    The lawsuit included claims for direct, contributory and vicarious infringement against Jadoo TV and  Sohail for airing certain IBCAP member content to which it did not have rights. Evidence for the case was obtained and provided by the IBCAP lab. Prosecution of the case and settlement negotiations were executed by Dish’s outside litigation counsel, Hagan Noll & Boyle, LLC.

  • Hotstar creates record of 10 mn plus concurrent viewers for IPL finale

    Hotstar creates record of 10 mn plus concurrent viewers for IPL finale

    MUMBAI: They helped Hotstar hit a world record for concurrent online viewing a few days ago with 8.26 million viewers in the IPL first qualifier game on 22 May. Once again, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) helped Hotstar create a new record of over 10 million concurrent users for the Vivo IPL 2018 finale that witnessed CSK’s Shane Watson hit a century and safely take the team to its third trophy.

    While Hotstar viewers could see the number hit 10.7 million, sources say that Hotstar will do a thorough check but can safely say that the number is between 10.3-10.7 million. Just for the season, the OTT platform from Star India increased its bandwidth to 10 million concurrent users at a time, with help from technology partner Akamai. A source from Star India says, “The numbers are insane, no other platform can handle the scale which we have achieved. We are going to check and recheck with Akamai regarding the numbers.”

    As Watson continued to slash through to his ton, viewers kept building up, especially for the last four overs. A sudden hike from eight million to 9.1 million and then to 9.7 million was witnessed before it breached the coveted mark to hit 10.7 million.

    The result of the final was the same as the first qualifier. SRH batted first setting a target of 179 runs in 20 overs, but the batting line-up of CSK was ready with all guns firing. The second innings started where the SRH bowlers dominated the powerplay but Shane Watson played the innings of his life scoring 117 off just 57 deliveries. SRH has defended low scoring games of 118 and 132 runs playing against Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab respectively but could not halt CSK’s Watson.

    Hotstar, apparently, has played a key role in helping team Uday Shankar and Sanjay Gupta get closer to their revenues. Sources indicate the advertising revenues accruing courtesy the Vivo IPL are in the region of Rs 350 crore. Even rivals acknowledge that it is a landmark figure Hotstar has managed to achieve. To top that is the subscription revenue – guesstimated at around Rs 100 crore – which the streaming service has notched up so far.

    Star India has four more seasons of IPL for now and it is surely going to take this success and look forward to beating its own record. For the next season, it will have to increase the bandwidth to accommodate new viewers.

     

  • Hotstar notches up concurrent viewing world record of 8.26 million

    Hotstar notches up concurrent viewing world record of 8.26 million

    MUMBAI: The closely fought Chennai Super Kings (CSK) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) playoff game for Vivo IPL 2018 set a new record for India’s leading video streaming service – Hotstar. According to it, the match saw a massive 8.26 million concurrent users logging on to the service, which is a world record for any video app, says its Twitter handle.

    The earlier record was around seven  million concurrent users in the early part of the IPL.

    What helped was the see-sawing of fortunes that both the teams saw during the course of the match. Even as Chennai Super Kings was popping the champagne for restricting the Sunrisers Hyderabad team to just 139 runs, the SRH bowlers put the brakes on the CSK batters when they came to the crease. At one stage the 140 target looked distant as wicket after wicket tumbled to tight bowling on a slowing track at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium. But a last over first ball six saw the MS Dhoni-led team romping home comfortably.

    Hotstar, apparently, has played a key role in helping team Uday Shankar and Sanjay Gupta get closer to their revenues. Sources indicate the  advertising revenues accruing courtesy the Vivo IPL are in the region of Rs 350 crore. Even rivals acknowledge that it is a landmark figure Hotstar has managed to achieve. To top that are the subscription revenues – guesstimated at around Rs 100 crore – that the streaming service has notched up so far.

    With the finals set to be played by end this month, expect a newer record being set. Keep checking indiantelevision.com for updates.

    Also Read :

    We are fundamentally changing storytelling: Hotstar CEO Ajit Mohan

    Ab Raaton Raat Ban Jao Sarkar with WatchN’Play on Hotstar

    Hotstar packs a punch with IPL 11 opening week user numbers

  • Comcast to launch Internet TV service called Stream

    Comcast to launch Internet TV service called Stream

    MUMBAI: Keeping in mind the diversity in preferences of watching entertainment content, cable giant Comcast is all set to launch a streaming TV service called Stream.

     

    Comcast Cable executive vice president and general manager, video services Matt Strauss said, “The way we watch TV has become more personal than ever. I like to watch live on the big screen in my living room. My kids, on the other hand, prefer to catch up with their favorite shows on their laptops, on demand. As this diversity in preferences continues to grow, we’ve added new features and offerings to try and meet the needs of everyone who loves TV.”

     

    Comcast has previously created skinny bundles like Internet Plus and developed services that cater to students, like Xfinity on Campus. 

     

    The cable company has now launched a beta test of a new streaming cable service that furthers its goal to provide TV choices for everyone. “It’s unlike anything we’ve ever offered: no extra device or additional equipment required…or even a TV. And it’s called Stream,” Strauss said.

     

    With Stream, Xfinity Internet customers can watch live TV from about a dozen networks – including all the major broadcast nets and HBO – on laptops, tablets and phones in their home. It includes thousands of on demand movies and shows to watch home or away and even comes with access to TV Everywhere and a cloud DVR to record shows and watch later.

     

    Stream will be available to Comcast’s Xfinity Internet customers for $15 per month and will first launch in Boston at the end of the summer. The company will take it to Chicago and Seattle next, with plans to make it available everywhere in its footprint by early 2016.

     

    “We’ll continue to experiment by creating offerings like Stream, so that users can choose the service that works best for them. So if you love TV and spend most of your time with the screen in your lap as opposed to the one on the wall, Stream may just be the thing for you,” Strauss added.