Sky has brought a case to the High Court claiming that a man from Co Wexford may have made up to €450,000 per year from running an illegal 'dodgy box' service. Since 2018, David Dunbar has allegedly provided access to copyrighted broadcast material to thousands of individuals.

Last month, Sky was granted several orders to collect evidence of Mr. Dunbar's supposed infringement, including the right to confiscate his devices.

In a sworn statement, a Sky anti-piracy investigator labeled Mr. Dunbar as a 'top-level' copyright infringer and stated that his actions have likely seriously harmed Sky, broadcasters, and legitimate streaming services in Ireland.

Investigators at Sky first noticed a social media account involved in selling an Internet Protocol television service (IPTV) last November. This account was later tied to Mr. Dunbar.

Additionally, Sky received an anonymous tip-off from UK-based charity Crime Stoppers regarding Mr. Dunbar's operation of the service.

The investigator estimates that Mr. Dunbar had around 5,000 paying customers, bringing in approximately €450,000 annually. It was found that he charged two different annual subscription rates, €80 and €100, respectively.

According to the investigator, Mr. Dunbar likely had 1,682 customers, but the actual number is believed to be much higher.

During the court proceedings, Sky's barristers accused Mr. Dunbar of breaching court orders and being in contempt of court. They highlighted inaccuracies and inconsistencies in his statements and pointed out breaches of orders.

Mr. Dunbar's solicitor acknowledged his client's contempt of court and stated that he is working to comply with the court's orders.

The judge advised Mr. Dunbar to address Sky's concerns and warned his solicitor about the need for prompt action. The case was adjourned until next month.