Information relating to more than 300 ‘dodgy fire stick’ users is set to be released to Sky following an Irish High Court decision. Justice Brian Cregan has approved an order requiring Revolut Bank UAB to surrender the names and addresses of 304 subscribers alongside 10 resellers.

The ruling follows Sky’s civil proceedings against Revolut, with subscribers allegedly using the banking application to pay resellers of pirated material. Sky had initially sought a Norwich Pharmacal order, which allows information concerning individuals who have become ‘mixed up’ in wrongdoing to be obtained.

Sky’s representative, Theo Donnelly, informed the High Court that any details and information secured would be used to pursue legal proceedings against resellers and certain users.

Revolut counsel John Freeman indicated his client maintained a neutral stance on Sky’s application. The firm’s latest move follows a civil prosecution against David Dunbar of Wexford.

He was instructed to pay Sky €480,000 (£415,000) in damages and €100,000 (£86,000) in costs, having been found guilty of running an illegal streaming operation. Dunbar received an additional €30,000 (£26,000) fine for contempt following a breach of court orders to preserve data.

It was further discovered that 12 resellers and 304 users had been transferring funds to Dunbar via Revolut, which prompted Sky to request additional information from the bank. The court heard that proceedings had already been launched against two of the 12 resellers.

Details regarding the 304 users are set to be delivered to Sky on an encrypted spreadsheet within the next 28 days.

The utilisation of so-called ‘dodgy boxes’ and illegal Fire Stick devices are considered ‘serious crimes’, with police forces throughout the UK and Ireland, alongside the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), working tirelessly to clamp down on their use.

A man from Merseyside was recently handed a custodial sentence for his own personal usage.

Speaking at the time, Detective Sergeant Adam Dagnall of Merseyside Police’s Cybercrime Unit said: “Merseyside Police takes illegal streaming seriously because it often helps fund organised crime and puts users at real risk.

“Not only is it a criminal offence, but the unauthorised streaming services frequently contain malware that can compromise personal devices and lead to the loss of information such as banking details, or be used to commit identity fraud.

“Legitimate providers have security measures that protect users from these threats. Please don’t be tempted by cheap so-called ‘fully loaded’ or ‘jailbroken’ devices, even as Christmas gifts – you could end up getting more than you bargained for.”