bestsmartiptv

DISH Network has filed a $21 million lawsuit against DMTN IPTV, an illegal streaming operation allegedly run out of Morocco.

The case was filed in a New York federal court and coordinated by the International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP).

According to the complaint, Moroccan resident Idriss Elkasmi operated several pirate IPTV services including DMTN IPTV, Idriss Premium TV, and Manx TV.

These services gave subscribers access to thousands of live channels and up to 100,000 on-demand movies and series.

Inside the DMTN IPTV Piracy Lawsuit

DISH didn’t jump straight to legal action here. Between 2021 and 2026, the company sent 68 cease-and-desist notices to the operators. IBCAP also issued 435 takedown requests to hosting companies tied to the defendants since 2020. None of it worked.

The complaint states that Elkasmi and his co-defendants “defiantly continued to operate” their service with full knowledge that their activities were unlawful. A second defendant, Ali Ezzaary, is accused of promoting the service and collecting payments as a secondary infringer.

Fake Receipts and a Stolen Identity

What makes this case stand out is the bizarre lengths Elkasmi allegedly went to in order to cover his tracks.

When an undercover DISH investigator purchased a subscription through WhatsApp, the payment was directed to a business called “Genuine Leather.” The receipt described the purchase as a “Philos Brown Leather BackPack,” not an IPTV subscription.

As the investigation ramped up before filing, Elkasmi reportedly took down his LinkedIn profile.

He then swapped his Facebook photo with an image of Vince Gilligan, the Hollywood director behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. The complaint confirms Gilligan has zero connection to Elkasmi or the pirate service.

What DISH Is Seeking for Damages

The lawsuit claims at least 145 copyrighted works were infringed. DISH wants $150,000 in statutory damages per work, bringing the total demand above $21 million.

Beyond money, the company is requesting a permanent injunction and transfer of domains including dmtn4k.com, dmtn-tv.net, and dmtn8k.com.

Given that the Moroccan defendants have ignored every previous request, there’s a strong chance they won’t show up in court either. As of the filing date, dmtn8k.com and dmtniptv.net remain active.

The executive director of IBCAP, Chris Kuelling, stated the following:

“This lawsuit against DMTN IPTV is the latest in a long line of legal actions to enforce copyrights that are being blatantly infringed by pirate services. When a pirate continues to ignore our takedown requests, the next step is to coordinate legal action. In line with past lawsuit wins, we expect a similar outcome in this case, including a broad injunction that can be enforced against third parties, such as hosting providers, CDNs, ISPs and payment processors to stop this infringement.”

Final Thoughts

This lawsuit is another example of how pirate IPTV operators are willing to go to extreme lengths to avoid detection, from fake leather goods receipts to stealing the identity of someone.

With IBCAP and DISH ramping up their enforcement efforts, this certainly won’t be the last piracy lawsuit we see. Expect more cases like this one to surface as anti-piracy coalitions continue targeting illegal streaming services around the globe.

For more details on this story, refer to the official legal complaint (PDF), IBCAP press release, and the report from TorrentFreak.

We want to know your thoughts. What do you think about this story? Let us know in the comment section below!

Be sure to stay up-to-date with the latest streaming news, reviews, tips, and more by following the TROYPOINT Advisor with updates weekly.