The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP)’s fight against content piracy has hit the peddler of a popular platform, Jadoo TV, that aired pirated content, mostly South Asian in the US and in other parts of the world.

IBCAP has said that a long-running lawsuit against Jadoo TV, Inc. and its US-based CEO Sajid Sohail, has resulted in a final judgment of $24,969,911 and a permanent injunction against the platform and Sohail individually.

Jadoo TV has also agreed to permanently cease all operations worldwide by December 22, 2024, according to a press statement issued by IBCAP from Denver, US.

At the time of the lawsuit’s filing in 2018, according to the IBCAP statement earlier in the week, Jadoo TV was one of the most popular providers of pirated South Asian content to global audiences.

Jadoo TV distributed its service through ‘Jadoo’ (magic in Hindi language) set-top boxes and its mobile application. The Jadoo set-top boxes were widely available online and in retail stores throughout South Asian communities worldwide, including the US and Canada.

 Notably, as part of a separate settlement agreement, Jadoo TV and its owner Sohail agreed to transfer all Jadoo TV customer lists to the American platform DISH and transfer all Jadoo TV trademarks and domain names to DISH, apart from paying it $1,500,000 by February 20, 2025.

Earlier in the case, an American court granted summary judgment on all claims against Jadoo TV and Sohail, finding them liable for direct, contributory and vicarious copyright infringement. In that ruling, the court determined that Sohail was personally liable as the “guiding spirit” behind the infringement of IBCAP member works, the broadcasters’ association statement added.

The final court judgement follows years of protracted litigation dating back to November 2018, when IBCAP member DISH Network initially filed the case. The final judgment entered against Jadoo TV and Sohail is unique in that it not only recognizes significant statutory damages for registered works ($14,550,000), but also a significant monetary award for unregistered works ($10,419,911).

“This final judgment and settlement marks the culmination of a six-year legal battle against one of the most popular South Asian services offering pirated content, Jadoo TV, and its CEO, who was found personally liable for the damages caused by his and his company’s copyright infringement,” said Chris Kuelling, executive director of IBCAP in a statement.

He added that the announcement “sends a strong message that the end of the road for a pirate IPTV service is a significant monetary payment and loss of your entire business”.

The case was coordinated by IBCAP and brought by IBCAP member DISH Network L.L.C. after DISH and IBCAP sent numerous notices of copyright infringement. The lawsuit included claims for direct, contributory and vicarious infringement against Jadoo TV and Sohail for airing certain IBCAP member content to which it did not have rights.

International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy, Inc. is a coalition of leading international and US content owners, broadcasters, and distributors representing more than 210 television channels from the US and around the world. As the largest anti-piracy organization focused on illicit services offering multicultural content, with a state-of-the-art anti-piracy lab that utilizes technology provided by Nagra, the organization proactively monitors and identifies unauthorized video services, collects evidence, and assists with legal actions and criminal investigations against organizations and individuals engaging in pirate activities.