Is IPTV legal in the US?

The technology vs the content

IPTV simply means delivering television over Internet Protocol. Major US TV providers and streaming platforms use IP delivery every day. Nothing about the delivery method is unlawful.

Copyright law is what governs the content. TV channels, films, sports broadcasts and series are protected works, and streaming them to the public requires permission (a license) from the rights holders. A service that streams channels without those rights is infringing copyright, however it delivers them.

What the Protecting Lawful Streaming Act changed

In December 2020, Congress passed the Protecting Lawful Streaming Act as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. It added a new section to the federal criminal code, 18 U.S.C. § 2319C, covering illicit digital transmission services.

Before the act, unauthorized public performance through streaming was generally treated as a misdemeanor, while unauthorized copying and distribution could already be a felony. The new section makes it a felony to willfully, and for commercial advantage or private financial gain, offer a digital transmission service that:

• is primarily designed or provided to publicly perform copyrighted works without authorization; or
• has no commercially significant purpose other than doing so; or
• is intentionally marketed to promote its use for unauthorized streaming.

What about viewers?

Section 2319C targets people who operate illicit streaming services for profit. Commentary on the legislation, including from law firms that analyzed it, notes that it was not aimed at ordinary internet service providers, legitimate streaming businesses or their customers.

That doesn't make unlicensed services risk-free for viewers. Rights holders can still bring civil copyright claims, unlicensed services can disappear overnight with your subscription money, and many of them ask for payment in ways that offer no consumer protection. Choosing a lawful service protects you as well as the creators.

How licensed services get their channels

A legitimate TV service doesn't simply pick up channels and resend them. It signs licensing agreements with the networks and studios that own the programming, which set out which channels it can carry, in which territories and on which devices. For local broadcast stations, US pay-TV distributors generally need the station's permission to retransmit its signal, a process often called retransmission consent. These agreements are a large part of why licensed TV costs what it does.

That's also why the channel lineup of a licensed service can vary by region, and why a channel can occasionally disappear when a carriage agreement lapses. A service offering every network, sports league and premium channel worldwide, at a fraction of the usual price, is very unlikely to hold those rights.

Civil liability: the other side of the law

Criminal law is only part of the picture. Copyright owners can sue for infringement in federal court, and the Copyright Act allows courts to award statutory damages instead of proven losses: generally between $750 and $30,000 per work infringed, and up to $150,000 per work where the infringement is willful (17 U.S.C. § 504(c)). In practice, rights holders have mainly pursued the people who run unlicensed services, but the exposure is a reason to stay away from them.

Rules differ outside the US

This guide covers US law. Other countries have their own rules and enforcement. In the UK, for example, selling access to unlicensed streams can carry a prison sentence of up to ten years. See our British-English guides to what a “dodgy box” is and what UK law says and IPTV in the UK. Courts in some countries also order internet providers to block access to unlicensed streaming services. If you live outside the US, check the law where you are.

Red flags that a service may not be licensed

• Thousands of premium channels, every major sports league and new cinema releases for a price far below what licensed services charge.
• No identifiable company, business address or terms of service.
• Payment only by gift card, cryptocurrency or a personal payment app.
• Instructions to disable security protections or install apps from unknown websites.
• Marketing that focuses on getting paid channels "for free" or "without cable".

Our guide to choosing an IPTV provider includes a fuller checklist of questions to ask before you pay.

Questions to ask any IPTV provider

1. Who operates the service, and where is the business registered?
2. How is the content you stream licensed or sourced?
3. What are your terms of service, privacy policy and refund policy?
4. Which payment methods do you accept, and do they include buyer protection?

How IPTV Fox TV approaches this

We'd rather you ask these questions than not. You can read about IPTV Fox TV and our terms of service, and contact us with any question about the service before you subscribe. For the US-specific details of how the service works, see IPTV Fox TV in the USA.