IPTV or Internet Protocol Television is the best alternative to the traditional satellite or cable TV system. IPTV is the process of delivering Live TV channels and on-demand movies and shows to your device through the internet. Every time while use IPTV, we get a question like Is IPTV legal or not? It is the question you should encounter if you are ready to use the IPTV service.
In support of the accusation, the cable subscription charges more and provides fewer channels, whereas IPTV charges much less and provides more channels. It is important to get clarity on IPTV legality and what we should consider before subscribing to IPTV.
IPTV Services
In simple terms, streaming content via the Internet is called IPTV. There are many IPTV providers, which are officially announced by particular TV channels. For example, BBC owns an IPTV player called iPlayer, which works on a subscription basis. Similarly, there are plenty of official IPTV players that sell their services on a subscription basis.
These IPTV services are considered legal ones. You can check their terms of usage and conditions page before purchasing an IPTV. Streaming services such as YouTube TV, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling TV, and Philo are the legal IPTV Providers. You can get these streaming apps on the official stores of every streaming device.
Is IPTV Legal?
There are many IPTV providers that provide IPTV services for a cheaper price. Sometimes, these providers give 1000+ channels for free as well. As a customer, we have to be aware of these free services. It is obvious that nothing is free for streaming. You either get a lot of ads while streaming or an association of some copyright infringement in the back. Illegal IPTV providers don’t get proper permission and start streaming content illegally.
“There was a famous IPTV provider named “SETTV”. They were providing premium content for a very low price and had more than “180,000” subscribers. The Dish Network filed a complaint against SETTV, and they were asked to pay more than “$90 million” as a fine along with surrendering their domains and equipment.”
Similarly, there are IPTV providers streaming content for less than $10 per month but providing more than 2000+ channels. These channels will be sued one day as well.
Therefore, the legality of IPTV depends on the official announcement only. Before considering any IPTV, check their background twice or thrice and then purchase a subscription. Some IPTVs provide M3U URLs for streaming the content. You will require an M3U Player to upload the playlists through the URL.
Most of the IPTV Players are available in the Google Play Store, and you can install them on Android devices. The IPTV Players do not provide any content for streaming, and thereby it is completely safe to use the app on your device. You have to be careful of the content that you are streaming on the IPTV Player.
Know the Exact Difference Between Legal and Illegal IPTV
| Legal IPTV | Illegal IPTV |
|---|---|
| Provide the copyrighted content with a proper license | There is no license agreement for its media content |
| Cost of the service is high | It offers the service at an affordable cost or free. |
| It has a long-lasting official website | The services are often taken down by the government |
| Transparent payment system | Using untraceable payment methods |
| Stable service for a long period | Doesn’t have a guarantee for its stability |
Types of Illegal IPTV Services
Laws Related to IPTV
Each country has its own laws for digital streaming. The laws vary slightly from each country, along with the punishments for illegal streaming. The legality of IPTV also depends on the country you are watching it. Some country has banned IPTV for siting to several reasons.
| Country | Law and year of enactment | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| USA | Protecting Lawful Streaming Act – 2020 | Ten years of imprisonment with additional fines |
| USA | Digital Millennium Copyright Act – 1988 | Up to $250,000 in fines and jail sentence for 5 years |
| UK | Digital Economy Act – 2017 | Imprisoned for up to 10 years |
| Canada | Copyrights Act – 1921 | Fine amount up to $1,000,000 or jail sentence for 2 years |
Things to remember before purchasing an IPTV Service
- Verify the official website of the IPTV Service Provider. There are many websites that look like the official site of the particular IPTV.
- Read the terms of usage and conditions page. (They might mention that we are not responsible for copyrighted content, and the users can watch it at their own risk). – Only illegal IPTVs will add these points.
- Check whether the IPTV has any official connection with the legal TV network. If so, you can buy the subscription.
- If they are providing more channels at a very low price, then remember that one day, they will also shut down their IPTV like SETTV. (TV Channel subscriptions are costlier, and no one will give you a lower price).
- Read the user reviews online on the popular social media pages and forums for IPTV.
- Compare the IPTV Provider with other IPTV services.
Always remember to consider the above points before purchasing any IPTV service. If you are not sure whether the IPTV service you bought is legal or not, then try using a Premium VPN. By running the IPTV using a VPN, you can stay away from hackers and ISP providers. The popular VPNs for secure streaming of IPTV are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, CyberGhost VPN, and many more.