KODI • GETTY Kodi will remain neutral – and will not actively block users from pirate streams

Kodi will not block users leveraging the hugely-successful software to stream movies, television box sets and live sport matches, it has confirmed. The media player reiterated that it will stand by its neutral policy. That means Kodi will update its software to block users installing third-party plugins and add-ons to gain access to pirated content. Kodi found itself at the centre of controversy last month, following the EU ruling that streaming copyright-protected content without the right holders' permission is now illegal. The European Court of Justice – the EU's highest court – ruled that streaming copyrighted material for free on multimedia players such as Kodi broke the law. Downloading pirated copies of movies, music, and television shows has always constituted copyright infringement. However, streaming the same content was previously a legal grey area.

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That's because files that are stored temporarily – like those being created and constantly overwritten when streaming media content online – were technically exempt under copyright law. This loophole enabled those who sold set-top boxes, like those powered by the Kodi media player software, to promote the easy facilitation of piracy via streaming.

Kodi will remain as free and as open as it always has. Feel free to continue using Kodi however you want Nathan Betzen, Kodi Project Manager

But the landmark EU verdict means pirate streams are now on the same legal footing as illegal downloads. Kodi community and project manager Nathan Betzen addresses the EU ruling in a new blog post. Mr Betzen wrote: "Even though pirate streaming appears to be illegal in Europe, we still stand by our neutral policy. "We are developers and not the police, and we have no interest in acting as police for our own software. "Kodi will remain as free and as open as it always has. Feel free to continue using Kodi however you want. "To us Kodi is and always will be just a tool, like a hammer, and how you choose to use that tool is up to you."

KODI Kodi has addressed the landmark EU ruling on illegal streaming in a new blog post

For those who do not know, Kodi is an open-source media player that's available to install on a range of devices. The software was previously known as XBMC, or Xbox Media Centre, since that was the only hardware is was designed to run on. In a nutshell, it turns any desktop computer, server, smartphone, tablet or set-top box into a media player able to stream files from the internet, your home network or local HDD storage. The Kodi software itself is perfectly legal, however, it does allow users to install additional applications that allow them to access copyrighted material – uploaded, shared or streamed from other users across the globe. Unlike the Apple TV, Google ChromeCast or others, the Kodi media player is not restricted by licensing agreements, or a curated app store.

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That means Kodi users can download a plethora of community-built apps, that might not be approved under the guidelines that govern the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and others. This enables some users to abuse the media player to gain access to copyright-protected content providers, including Sky Sports HD, BT Sport, Sky Cinema, Netflix, BBC Worldwide and others. Kodi project manager Nathan Betzen does stipulate one request to those who decide to use Kodi to gain access to these pirate video sources. "We do ask that if you decide to use Kodi in a way that's illegal, please leave us out of it," he posted on the community blog. "People who steal cars don't tweet a picture of their stolen car to Ford Motor Co. "We ask that if you watch pirate streams, that you not tweet us about those streams."

KODI The open-source media player is able to run on a vast array of different hardware

The new ruling on illegal streaming affects Europe. US laws on the subject of piracy streaming remain murky and open to interpretation, Kodi tells its community of users that "if that changes and we find out about it, we'll let you know". The news comes days after the ratification of the Digital Economy Act in the UK. The Digital Economy Act received royal assent last week, meaning anyone caught sharing illegal files in the UK could now be imprisoned for up to 10 years. Amongst other changes, the legislation increases the maximum jail term for copyright infringement from two years – to 10.

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