Kodi crackdown in the UK continues as Navi-X add-on shuts down over legal fears

Kodi crackdown in the UK continues as Navi-X add-on shuts down over legal fears

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Kodi crackdown in the UK continues as Navi-X add-on shuts down over legal fears

Kodi crackdown in the UK continues

The legal crackdown on so-called ‘Kodi boxes’ has claimed a scalp – as a major koi add-on for has shut down over copyright fears.

Navi-X says it will shut down its service in the wake of the Digital Economy Act, which means that users of Kodi boxes could face up to 10 years in prison.

Providers of illegal content are the most likely to face long sentences under the new law.

In theory, the bill criminalises even minor copyright infringement – where copyright holders face a loss or a ‘risk of loss’ by something being published online.

Navi-X statment:
‘After ten years of successful operation, Navi-X has sadly being discontinued. Navi-X was first released in April 2007, and is the oldest Kodi addon of its kind,’ the development team explained.

‘The main reason why the decision was made to discontinue the Navi-X service is the current legal climate surrounding Kodi.’

‘In case you aren’t aware, the abundance of preloaded Kodi box sellers has resulted in a lot of heat on Kodi in the United Kingdom and elsewhere,’ the team said.

Could I face a 10-year sentence for using Kodi?

The government’s new Digital Economy Bill has changed the rules on online piracy – with 10-year sentences now possible for copyright crimes.

But can you really get a ten-year sentence simply for using a ‘fully loaded’ Kodi box – a popular device often used to pirate films and TV series?

In practice, ordinary users are not actually likely to be prosecuted – although you have still technically committed a crime, the government says.

The Intellectual Property Office said in a letter to Open Rights Group, ‘It is important to note that the criminal offenses apply to making material available to others, not to those just downloading material to their computers.

‘Anyone seeking to enforce their rights for the downloading of material would be unlikely to refer to this legislation.

‘Ten year sentences would only be applied in the most serious of criminal circumstances.’