In a groundbreaking verdict, a federal jury in Las Vegas convicted five men this week for their involvement in operating Jetflicks, a notorious illegal streaming service. Prosecutors claim that Jetflicks was one of the largest illegal streaming platforms in the United States and caused substantial harm to television program copyright owners.

Charging a monthly fee of $9.99, Jetflicks generated millions of dollars in subscription revenue. It boasted an extensive lineup, claiming to host over 183,200 TV episodes, surpassing the combined catalogs of major streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and Amazon Prime Video.

Court documents and evidence presented during the trial revealed that the five men - Kristopher Dallmann, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, Jared Jaurequi, and Peter Huber - utilized sophisticated computer scripts and software to seek out illegal copies of TV episodes from piracy services such as the Pirate Bay and Torrentz. These episodes were then downloaded and hosted on Jetflicks' servers.

Back in 2019, the accused men were charged with conspiring to violate federal criminal copyright law. The jury ultimately found them guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. Additionally, Dallmann was convicted of two counts of money laundering by concealment and three counts of misdemeanor criminal copyright infringement.

The penalties for their crimes vary, with Dallmann facing a maximum sentence of 48 years in prison, while Courson, Garcia, Jaurequi, and Huber each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, according to the Justice Department. A sentencing date has yet to be determined.

To evade complaints from copyright owners and issues with payment service providers, the defendants attempted to disguise Jetflicks as an aviation entertainment company. However, their efforts proved futile, leading to their eventual exposure and subsequent prosecution.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, emphasized the severity of their actions. She stated, "Their scheme generated millions of dollars in criminal profits while causing copyright owners to lose out. These convictions underscore the Criminal Division's commitment to protecting intellectual property rights by prosecuting digital piracy schemes and bringing offenders to justice."

Furthermore, federal prosecutors revealed that one member of the original Jetflicks group, Darryl Julius Polo, left to establish a competing site called iStreamItAll. Similar to Jetflicks, iStreamItAll distributed TV and movie content without permission. Polo pleaded guilty to criminal copyright and money laundering charges in 2019 and, in 2020, was sentenced to 57 months in prison. He was also ordered to forfeit $1 million in criminal proceeds.

The conviction of the five men involved in operating Jetflicks sends a clear message that copyright infringement and digital piracy will not be tolerated. As streaming services continue to grow in popularity, authorities remain committed to protecting the rights of copyright owners and deterring individuals from engaging in such illicit activities.