Staff Reports
In a decisive blow to digital pirates, a federal court in Las Vegas has found five individuals guilty of operating a massive illegal television streaming service that brazenly violated copyright laws and funneled millions of dollars away from rightful content owners. The culprits – Kristopher Dallmann, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, Jared Jaurequi, and Peter Huber – were convicted of engaging in a coordinated effort to commit criminal copyright infringement, perpetuating their scheme since as far back as 2007.
Their online platform, Jetflicks, shamelessly offered subscribers access to a vast library of copyrighted television episodes sourced from illicit websites, amassing a content collection larger than that of major legitimate streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Despite attempts to mask their activities by pretending Jetflicks was an aviation entertainment company, the truth caught up with them when authorities intervened.
Daily Caller: ‘Pirate’: Feds Convict Five For Running Illegal Multimillion-Dollar Streaming Service https://t.co/hhBsDR1Hk5
— Ian Hansen 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@IanHansenFeed) June 21, 2024
The suspects, who managed to attract tens of thousands of paying customers with their cut-rate monthly subscriptions and seemingly endless supply of pirated content, now face the consequences of their illegal operation. While Dallmann is looking at a potential sentence of up to 48 years behind bars, Courson, Garcia, Jaurequi, and Huber could each be handed a maximum of five years in prison.
The case illustrates the unwavering commitment of law enforcement to combat intellectual property theft and uphold the rights of creators and copyright holders. As U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson aptly pointed out, those who flout intellectual property laws will be held accountable for their actions, no matter how elaborate their schemes may be. Ultimately, the convictions serve as a warning to others who seek to profit from illegal activities at the expense of hardworking content creators and the entertainment industry as a whole.
