Dodgy box users have been warned that “you will face consequences” as a crackdown on sellers begins.
An estimated one in five Irish households have the devices, which allow them to illegally stream premium content.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and Sky have sent legal letters to 10 alleged dodgy box providers, warning they could be reported to An Garda Síochána if they do not stop.
“In most circumstances, we use this tactic because it does actually work,” FACT Investigation Manager Nick Summer told Newstalk Breakfast.
“There's a lot of people who receive these notices who do actually comply; The notices are very clear - ‘Stop selling the IPTV subscriptions or you will face consequences’.
“Those consequences are set out; it could be a further investigation, there could be civil proceedings or a referral to the Gardaí.”
However, Mr Summer said the firm does sometimes report providers straight to Gardaí, “depending on the nature of the activity”.
“In these particular circumstances, we prefer to go down this route to get people to stop of their own volition before further enforcement activity,” he added.
“So, that is an attack that we do use, but on this occasion, we're using the cease and desist notices.”
Firms do check and if users have stopped using the devices and, if they do not, they could be referred to the Gardaí.
In May, legal letters were sent to hundreds of dodgy box users by Sky, after their names and addresses were obtained in a civil case taken against a provider.
It is, Mr Summers believes, an effective tactic, although he concedes it is “very difficult” to judge how many people have stopped using dodgy boxes since the crackdown began.
“In terms of the service of these notices, it's quite common for people to stop,” he said.
“So, that's why we use the tactic.”
For those who continue to use dodgy boxes, Mr Summers said they should not assume it is a risk free undertaking.
“They can't assume that they're going to remain anonymous in this process,”he said.
“Number two is there are very real risks of malware, other frauds and scams that can come through these devices, as well as inappropriate content being viewed by other family members.
“So, it's not without risk for the end user.”
Main image: A TV and a remote control. Picture by: Deyan Georgiev - Premium RF / Alamy.
