GETTY Watching video on a Kodi Box could soon be illegal, following a change to the law

Watching content on a Kodi Box could soon be illegal. Following a growing number of complaints from right-holders and broadcasters, the UK's Intellectual Property Office, or IPO, is purportedly holding a number of meetings to decide whether the law needs to be changed to tackle the popularity of Kodi boxes. There have already been a number of arrests due to Kodi boxes in the UK. Five people accused of selling illegally modified versions of the popular set-top boxes were taken into custody last month after a series of early morning raids. Cases are pending, but there is clearly a focus on these boxes. For those who do not know, Kodi is an open-source media player that's available to install on a range of devices.

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The software was previously known as XBMC, or Xbox Media Centre, since that was the only hardware is was designed to run on. But that has changed over the years, as the media player evolved, thanks to hundreds of coders across the globe tinkering with the software. Since it first launched back in 2003, Kodi has been shaped by some 500 developers and 200 translators. And now the open-source media player runs on a whole host of different devices. In fact, some estimates place 20 million devices in use in the UK at the moment. 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. Unlike the Apple TV, Google ChromeCast or others, the Kodi media player is not restricted by licensing agreements, or a curated app store. 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.

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. However the problem with Kodi is that content is illegally taken from content providers like Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, Netflix, BBC Worldwide and others. Those who use the Kodi platform to access this material would be taking a serious risk. Obviously accessing the material in this manner is illegal. One problem viewers who use the Kodi platform face is, unlike the carefully-curated Apple App Store or Google Play Store, it might not always be clear where the content is coming from – or whether it has been legally obtained.

KODI The Kodi media player lets you stream from local, or networked storage, as well as online sources

It’s these methods to access copyrighted material for free that the Intellectual Property Office wants to put a stop to. The IPO has called a consultation and is asking for input from a number of groups with experience of investigating and prosecuting offences related to these streaming devices, often dubbed Fully-Loaded Kodi Boxes when being sold on online marketplaces or auction websites, TorrentFreak has reported. Anyone with relevant information for the UK Intellectual Property Office is also welcome to participate in the consultation. In a post about its consultation about Kodi Boxes, the IPO writes: “Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) boxes (also known as set-top boxes, Android TV boxes or Kodi boxes) are small plug and play media servers, originally designed to allow consumers to stream legitimate content (locally stored or legal online content). “Despite the legitimate use of this equipment, software is widely available (illicit Kodi extensions being the best known) which connect the boxes to illegal content through streaming websites, file lockers and BitTorrent trackers.”

KODI Without any Add-Ons, the Kodi software is a little barebones

According to the UK Intellectual Property Office, the proliferation of devices with the required software preinstalled – sold at relatively low prices online – has triggered to a sharp increase in use from consumers. This recent change has riled copyright owners and those whose business relies on the official, paid-for distribution of copyrighted content. “Broadcasters and content owners have voiced concerns that, although a range of existing legislation applies to the sale and use of these devices (as well as the provision of illicit content streams), the legal framework does not provide sufficient tools to tackle this growing threat,” the IPO adds. Technology blog TorrentFreak notes that, from the information made available by the Intellectual Property Office so far, it seems likely the UK government will tighten-up a number of strands of legislation that could be applied to these devices, including their advertising, sale, supply, and use at home.

The consultation will close on April 7th 2017. To be clear, the sale of “fully loaded” Kodi boxes is illegal. These are set-top boxes that already ship with – not only the basic, barebones Kodi open-source software – but a number of popular Add-Ons that allow access to content sellers think you'll want. These community-built Add-Ons often promise free access to copyrighted material via unofficial plug-ins that make services like Sky Sports free and can even stream 3pm Premier League kick-offs.

EBAY An example of the Kodi Boxes that are available to buy online