IPTV Smarters Pro Removed From Google Play Store by LaLiga Court Order

IPTV Smarters Pro Removed From Google Play Store

A court in Spain has issued a ruling requiring Google to remove the IPTV app “IPTV Smarters Pro” from the Google Play Store. As of today, only the “Smarters Player Lite” version of the app can be found on the Google Play Store.

LaLiga Targets IPTV Providers, Streaming Sites & Video Players

The request was made by LaLiga, the Spanish football league, and supported by UDEV, a police unit specializing in violent and specialist crimes, including national and international copyright cases. LaLiga is targeting both free web-based streaming sites and subscription IPTV providers as part of its efforts to combat piracy. These services may be subject to ISP blocking through the use of dynamic injunctions, which are designed to be flexible and effective in combating countermeasures taken by pirates, unless of course if you are using a VPN. Last year, LaLiga labeled a number of software video players as piracy tools, which has made the distinction between legal and illegal content less clear.

In a submission to the European Commission in February of 2022, LaLiga identified around 20 IPTV services and 30 streaming sites as unlicensed. In addition, the organization nominated more than 80 software video players, many of which are available for download on Google Play and the App Store, as facilitating piracy. LaLiga emphasized that these player applications enable the consumption of a wide range of audiovisual content, including sports, movies, TV series, and more, and therefore the problem affects the entire audiovisual and entertainment industry.

IPTV Smarters Pro On EU Piracy List

LaLiga submitted a list of IPTV services, streaming sites, and software video players to the European Commission with the aim of having some or all of them included in the EU’s Counterfeiting and Piracy Watch List 2022. When the report was released in early December 2022, only one of the most popular apps was included in the “Piracy Apps” section.

According to the European Commission, stakeholders from the audiovisual industry reported IPTV Smarters for inclusion on the Watch List as an IPTV turnkey solution from India. The company, which trades under the brand name WHMCS Smarters, offers website design and development, customized apps on various platforms, and a billing platform, as well as an IPTV media player through the IPTV Smarters Pro app. Despite not making any allegations of piracy, the Commission mentioned the WHMCS side of the Smarters business in the “Piracy Apps” section of the Watch List.

LaLiga recently announced the results of legal action it took against the IPTV Smarters Pro software. In a press release celebrating its anti-piracy efforts over the past year, the organization revealed that a court in Spain had issued an order requiring Google to remove the app from the Google Play Store.

On December 22, 2022, Investigating Court No. 53 of Madrid issued an order – after a positive report from the Public Prosecutor – whereby, considering the precautionary measures requested by LaLiga, it agreed to withdraw from the Google store (Google Play) the well-known player application ‘IPTV SMARTERS PRO’, which once installed allowed – according to the conclusions of a UDEV report – to view premium television channels in which LaLiga matches were broadcast among other content.

original source:https://www.laliga.com/noticias/laliga-finaliza-el-2022-ganando-varias-batallas-legales-contra-la-pirateria

LaLiga’s statement specifically mentions UDEV (Unidad de Delincuencia Especializada y Violenta), a specialist unit of Spain’s National Police, as the entity responsible for verifying that copyright infringement was occurring through the use of the IPTV Smarters Pro software. Based on this report, the public prosecutor requested and the court (Juzgado de Instrucción Nº 53 de Madrid) granted precautionary measures against the app. This process demonstrates that LaLiga requested the measures, UDEV provided evidence of infringement, and the court determined that such measures were appropriate.

In a DMCA notice, LaLiga accused the IPTVSmarters website of selling channel services or subscriptions to servers that provide unauthorized payment channel decryption keys for copyrighted broadcasts available through the IPTV/CCCAM service. However, the IPTVSmarters website claims that it is a software development company and does not provide or sell any subscriptions, streams, or content. The allegations made by LaLiga are specific, including specific URLs, and include pages that offer the Smarters app for direct download, forum discussions on how to pay for the app outside of Google, and pages related to user accounts.