IP Law Daily, COPYRIGHT NEWS: DISH Network sues DMTN IPTV’s alleged operators for copyright infringement, (Feb 24, 2026)

By Carolin Dennis, B.Sc., LL.B., LL.M.

The complaint alleges that the defendants operated illegal streaming services branded as DMTN IPTV, Idriss Premium TV and Manx TV, which allegedly transmitted unauthorized copyrighted content from multiple countries charging $85 for annual subscriptions.

DISH Network L.L.C. (DISH) filed a complaint for direct and secondary copyright infringement under the Copyright Act in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Idriss Elkasmi, Ali Ezzaary, and Does 1-10 (together, defendants) who are the operators of the illegal streaming service known as DMTN IPTV, as well as Idriss Premium TV and Manx TV (Infringing Service). DISH seeks permanent injunction, substantial monetary damages, fees and costs necessitated by the defendants’ infringement (DISH Network L.L.C. v. Elkasmi, No. 1:26-cv-01350 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 17, 2026)).

DISH is one of the largest providers of international television channels in the United States and the fourth largest pay-TV provider in the United States, providing copyrighted programming to millions of subscribers nationwide. DISH contracts for and licenses rights for works aired on the international channels distributed on its platform from channel owners and their agents including: B4U U.S., Inc.; Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited; GloboSat Entertainment LLC; International Media Distribution (Luxembourg) S.A.R.L.; MSM Asia Limited; Soundview ATN LLC; Soundview Broadcasting, L.L.C.; and World Span Media Consulting, Inc. (collectively, Programmers). DISH entered into signed, written license agreements with the Programmers granting DISH the exclusive rights to distribute and publicly perform the copyrighted works that appear on the Protected Channels in the United States (Works) by means including satellite, over-the-top (OTT), IPTV, and internet. DISH is a copyright owner under 17 U.S.C. § 106 because DISH holds or held at the relevant times the exclusive right to transmit, distribute, and publicly perform in the United States the Works by means including satellite, OTT, IPTV, and internet.

According to the complaint, the Infringing Service unlawfully transmits, and publicly performs in the United States, television channels and the copyrighted programs on those channels originating from countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Egypt, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia that are or were during the relevant period exclusively licensed to DISH in the United States. Without authority from DISH, the Infringing Service streams these channels to its customers in the United States (Service Users) on a continuous basis, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

By infringing DISH’s exclusive rights under the U.S. Copyright Act, the Infringing Service directly competes with authorized subscriptions to DISH’s television programming, thereby causing lost market share, lost subscription revenues, lost advertising revenues, and price erosion for legitimate services. The Infringing Service also disrupts DISH’s relationships with authorized distributors in the United States, deprives DISH of its exclusive rights to control the distribution and quality of its copyrighted television programming, interferes with DISH’s ability to develop a lawful market for television programming in the United States, and damages DISH’s business reputation and goodwill.

The Infringing Service is managed and operated by Elkasmi, together with other individuals whose identities are not currently known to DISH (certain “Doe Defendants”) (together, Direct Infringers). The Direct Infringers work hand-in-hand with Ezzaary, as well as with other companies and individuals whose identities are not currently known to DISH (certain Doe Defendants) (together, Secondary Infringers), who promote and enable access to the Infringing Service in the United States and collect payments from Service Users, all with actual knowledge that their activities constitute copyright infringement under U.S. law.

DISH contended that its five-year investigation has established that Elkasmi and the other defendants have actual knowledge that their unauthorized use of the Protected Channels and the Works constitute infringement in violation of the U.S. Copyright Act, and that their infringement is willful. Further, DISH has repeatedly demanded that the Elkasmi and the other defendants cease their unlawful activity, but they have refused to do so. Over the last five years, DISH has sent at least 68 cease-and-desist notices directly to Elkasmi and the other defendants, demanding that they cease infringing the Protected Channels and the Works.

DISH also sent 435 take-down notices to hosting companies used by defendants in connection with the Infringing Service and to other third parties that host or otherwise enable the defendants’ infringing activity. However, even when these hosting companies removed the unauthorized content, the Direct Infringers intentionally interfered with the takedown efforts by, for example, transmitting the Infringing Service from different hosting companies or locations and by creating new websites to market the Infringing Service after their previously used domains were disabled.

DISH claimed that without permission from it, the Direct Infringers infringe DISH’s exclusive rights in the Works by transmitting and publicly performing the Works in the United States through the Infringing Service using servers controlled by the Direct Infringers thereby infringing DISH’s exclusive rights under 17 U.S.C. § 106. DISH contended that the direct infringement is knowingly facilitated and enabled by the Secondary Infringers, who encouraged and materially contributed to the direct infringement of DISH’s exclusive rights by promoting and enabling access to the Infringing Service in the United States and collecting payments from Service Users, all with actual knowledge that their activities constitute copyright infringement under U.S. law.

Claims, remedies sought. DISH asserts two causes of action: (1) direct copyright infringement, and (2) secondary copyright infringement. DISH asks the district court for permanent injunctive relief enjoining the defendants and their officers, agents, servants, and employees, and all those acting in active concert or participation with them, from distributing, publicly performing, and/or in any way transmitting video content in which DISH holds exclusive rights, including the Protected Channels and the Works; inducing, encouraging, causing, facilitating, and/or materially contributing to the unauthorized distribution, public performance, and/or transmission by others of the Protected Channels and the Works; distributing, selling, advertising, marketing, or promoting the Infringing Service, or any other service that contains, connects to, offers for download, transmits, assists in the transmission of, streams, hosts, provides access to, otherwise distributes or publicly performs, or displays directly or indirectly, by means of any device or process, any of the Protected Channels and Works. DISH also seeks an order permanently transferring each domain name that the defendants used in connection with the infringement to DISH, and enjoining any hosting company from supporting the Infringing Service or any other service used to access channels exclusively licensed to DISH. DISH also asks for statutory damages, defendants’ profits attributable to the infringement of each registered and unregistered Work, costs, interest, and attorneys’ fees as permitted by law, and such other relief as the district court may deem just and proper.

The Case is No. 1:26-cv-01350.

Judge: Vyskocil, M.

Attorneys: Adam Ivan Rich (Davis Wright Tremaine LLP) for Dish Network L.L.C.

Companies: Dish Network L.L.C.

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