Five men have been found guilty of creating and operating Jetflicks, an illegal streaming service similar to Netflix and Amazon Prime but without permission to offer over 183,000 TV episodes and 10,000 movies for a monthly fee of $9.99.
The leaders, Kristopher Dallmann, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, Jared Jaurequi, and Peter Huber, were convicted in Las Vegas of copyright infringement and related charges, with Dallmann also facing money laundering accusations.
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The US Department of Justice stated that Jetflicks copied hundreds of thousands of TV episodes without permission, amassing a library larger than Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and Amazon Prime combined.
The service allowed subscribers to watch content on various devices and emphasized its extensive collection, claiming to offer nearly any show or movie on demand.
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The group used automated programs to download shows and movies from pirate websites, then stored them on their own servers. They often released new episodes shortly after they aired, competing with official streaming services.
To evade copyright complaints and payment issues, they disguised Jetflicks as an aviation entertainment company. The service generated huge profits. Court documents reveal that Kristopher Dallmann boasted in an online chat that Jetflicks earned $750,000 in just one year. So in 10-12 years, they might have easily made around $5-6 Million.
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Despite making millions in revenue, they didn’t pay for the rights to stream the content, causing substantial losses to copyright owners.
The FBI began investigating Jetflicks in 2016, leading to its closure in 2019 and the recent convictions. Dallmann faces a potential 48-year sentence, while the others could each receive up to 5 years. Sentencing dates are pending.
