DISH Network wins major ruling against Queens-based pirate IPTV reseller
DISH Network has secured a partial summary judgment against Massive Wireless, an IPTV reseller, holding them liable for willful copyright infringement for selling "Glo TV"/"Rays IPTV" pirate IPTV services. The U.S. District Court Judge Orelia Merchant ruled that Massive Wireless materially contributed to the infringement and despite a 'failed supplier defense,' found willful blindness. Millions of dollars in damages are at stake, with DISH holding back its full claim for a later default judgment against the wholesaler.
Key Takeaways
- U.S. District Court found Massive Wireless and owner Khaled Akhtar liable for contributory and vicarious copyright infringement.
- The ruling establishes willful blindness after the defendant ignored six formal cease-and-desist notices sent by DISH.
- Statutory damages could reach $150,000 for each of the 170 registered works identified in the lawsuit.
- A judge-ordered permanent injunction requires the immediate destruction of all remaining infringing hardware and a detailed report under oath.
- Wholesaler Rays IPTV LLC and CEO Mumtazur Rehman Daud have defaulted, leaving them open to significant joint and several liability.
Why It Matters
The ruling reinforces the high legal risk for low-level intermediaries in the piracy supply chain. By rejecting the 'failed supplier defense,' the court confirms that retailers cannot escape liability by claiming ignorance of a wholesaler’s legality, particularly when prior warnings exist. This strengthens DISH’s template for aggressive litigation against local storefronts to choke off urban distribution networks. For the broader ecosystem, it signals that 'willful blindness' remains a powerful tool for rights holders to secure maximum statutory damages even from small-scale players. Stakeholders should monitor whether DISH successfully collects on this judgment or uses it primarily as a deterrent to shutter other brick-and-mortar resellers.
Additional Context
The judgment against Massive Wireless is part of an escalating litigation campaign coordinated by the International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) on behalf of DISH Network. In February 2026, per Advanced Television, DISH filed a similar $21 million lawsuit against DMTN IPTV operators, alleging the illegal transmission of 145 copyrighted works. Like the New York case, the DMTN investigation revealed elaborate evasion tactics, including the use of PayPal receipts that falsely labeled IPTV subscriptions as 'leather backpacks' to mask the nature of the transactions. This legal activity aligns with broader 2026 enforcement trends targeting the supporting infrastructure of pirate networks. According to reports from TorrentFreak in March 2026, DISH has aggressively pursued default judgments against international operators, such as a $28.65 million claim against Malaysia-based Kemo IPTV. While securing eight-figure judgments against small resellers like Massive Wireless is common, rights holders face ongoing challenges in actual collection when primary wholesalers operate from jurisdictions like Morocco or Malaysia. Consequently, the strategy has shifted toward securing 'evergreen' injunctions that allow for the immediate seizure of future domains and the removal of pirate content from Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) without filing new lawsuits. Regulatory pressure is also mounting globally as the industry prepares for high-traffic events. Per TroyPoint, the U.S. Trade Representative’s 2025 Notorious Markets list prioritized illicit sports streaming ahead of major summer tournaments. In parallel, global operations like 'Operation 404' have resulted in criminal sentences for IPTV operators, such as a recent five-year prison term in Brazil reported in May 2026. These combined efforts suggest a transition from simple takedown notices to a high-stakes legal environment where secondary infringers are increasingly targeted with maximum statutory penalties.
Read full article at torrentfreak.com
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