Legal Basis
This page explains the legal grounds on which piracy reports are reviewed and takedown notices are issued. It is provided for transparency and general information, it is not legal advice.
Copyright ownership
Sky UK Limited owns or exclusively controls the copyright and related rights in its television channels, programming, and associated on-demand content. Unauthorized streaming, re-uploading, rebroadcasting, or distribution of this content, including through websites, IPTV services, apps, and social platforms, infringes those rights.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
Where infringing content is hosted or indexed by a US-based platform or service provider, notices are submitted under the DMCA, 17 U.S.C. § 512, which sets out a formal process for rights holders to request removal of infringing material and for platforms to act on valid notices.
UK copyright law
For infringement connected to the United Kingdom, the relevant framework includes the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA), which protects broadcasts and the underlying works within them, and the Communications Act 2003, which addresses unauthorized reception and decryption of encrypted broadcasting services — directly relevant to unauthorized IPTV and satellite/cable piracy.
UK site-blocking orders
Separately from individual takedown notices, Sky holds a standing High Court injunction requiring the UK's major internet service providers, BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk, and Virgin Media, to block access to dedicated piracy services at the network level.
Under Sky UK Limited v British Telecommunications plc & Ors, Claim No. IL-2023-000082 (High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts of England and Wales (Intellectual Property List, ChD), before Mr Justice Meade), first granted 1 November 2023 and most recently extended and varied on 10 December 2025, those providers are required, under section 97A of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, to operate two forms of blocking:
- Dynamic blocking — IP addresses detected live broadcasting unauthorized Sky channel footage are blocked for the duration of the relevant broadcast; and
- Static blocking — the URLs and domains of more than 51 named IPTV and pirate streaming services are blocked outright, with the list kept under continuous review and updated as new services emerge.
This injunction runs on a rolling basis and doesn't require a report for each service it already covers. Reports submitted through this site are most useful for piracy that falls outside its scope, such as social media re-uploads, individual videos, and search results, where an individually reviewed and generated notice, as described above, is the right tool.
International and platform-specific processes
Many platforms, including search engines, video-sharing sites, and social media services, operate their own copyright removal processes independent of jurisdiction. Notices generated through this service are formatted to meet the requirements of the specific platform involved, in addition to applicable law.
Good faith and accuracy
Every notice issued includes a good-faith statement that the use complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law, and a statement, made under penalty of perjury — that the information provided is accurate and that the sender is authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
Not legal advice
This page is provided for general transparency about how reports are handled. It does not constitute legal advice, and nothing on this site should be relied upon as such. If you require legal advice about copyright infringement, please consult a qualified solicitor.