A legal case concerning the sale of video-streaming set-top boxes that can access subscription content for free, begins on Tuesday.
So-called "fully-loaded Kodi boxes" have gained popularity, but the legality of their sale is in question.
Middlesbrough trader Brian Thompson is accused of selling equipment that "facilitated the circumvention" of copyright protection measures.
The trial has been described as a landmark case by industry watchers.
Mr Thompson will not enter a plea on Tuesday, but has told local media he intends to challenge the charges.
_91384154_kodi_box.jpg
Kodi is free software designed to bring videos, music, games and photographs together in one easy-to-use application.
It began life as a program called Xbox Media Centre (XBMC) that added a feature-rich media player to the original Xbox games console.
The open-source project was developed by volunteers and can now be installed on a variety of devices including smartphones and computers.
It can also be loaded on to television-connected devices such as the Amazon Fire stick or Apple TV box, although it is not supported by those manufacturers.
So-called "fully-loaded Kodi boxes" have gained popularity, but the legality of their sale is in question.
Middlesbrough trader Brian Thompson is accused of selling equipment that "facilitated the circumvention" of copyright protection measures.
The trial has been described as a landmark case by industry watchers.
Mr Thompson will not enter a plea on Tuesday, but has told local media he intends to challenge the charges.
_91384154_kodi_box.jpg
Kodi is free software designed to bring videos, music, games and photographs together in one easy-to-use application.
It began life as a program called Xbox Media Centre (XBMC) that added a feature-rich media player to the original Xbox games console.
The open-source project was developed by volunteers and can now be installed on a variety of devices including smartphones and computers.
It can also be loaded on to television-connected devices such as the Amazon Fire stick or Apple TV box, although it is not supported by those manufacturers.

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Of course people with suspicious, or guilty, minds would immediately think "Jack Sparrow"
Expect to get most of your TV licence refunded
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