It’s not just illegal add-ons that Kodi needs to worry about.
The service is also battling ‘trademark trolls’ who want to stop its software from being free.
The software – which enables users to streams apps and on-demand services onto their TV – is legal, free and can even be downloaded onto an Amazon Fire stick.
But trolls have registered the Kodi name as their own and are using it to profit from software, Kodi says.
The software – which enables users to streams apps and on-demand services onto their TV – is legal. free and can even be downloaded onto an Amazon Fire stick
Kodi says ‘trolls’ are using ‘threatening letters’ ask for money from sellers of the devices and get them removed from sites.
The company says the users need to be ‘prepared for the future, as we move forward in defending the freedom of this software that we all take for granted.’
The issue first emerged when ‘Kodi’ replaced the old name ‘XBMC’ in 2014.
Kodi community and project manager Nathan Betzen said: ‘A number of individuals with what appear to be less than altruistic motives,,, they ‘attempted to register the Kodi name in various countries outside the United States with the goal of earning money off the Kodi name without doing any work beyond sending threatening letters.
‘We are not entirely sure why the name change prompted this behaviour.
‘When we went by XBMC, nobody ever did the trademark squatting thing.
‘So when it started happening with the Kodi name, we were caught flatfooted without any real plan for dealing with these trolls or even tracking their actions.’
The Kodi blog names one ‘trademark troll’ that has so far not agreed to voluntarily release their grasp on their registration of the Kodi name.
It says a man named Geoff Gavora is actively blackmailing hardware vendors in Canada.
He has registered the Kodi trademark in Canada and used that to get rid of other devices off of the country’s local Amazon store.
‘Now, if you do a search for Kodi on Amazon.ca, there’s a very real chance that every box you see is giving Gavora money to advertise that they can run what should be the entirely free and open Kodi. Gavora and his company are behaving in true trademark troll fashion,’ the site said.
The trademark battle is yet another blow to Kodi, which has faced widespread criticism for enabling add-ons that stream illegal content.
In June, TVAddons, one of the most popular libraries for add-ons on Kodi mysteriously shut down without warning.
The library has been involved in a legal battle with a US broadcast provider, with threats of fines of up to £116,000 ($150,000).
Kodi has also lost several of its most popular add-ons, including Phoenix.
TVAddons, one of the most popular libraries for add-ons on Kodi has mysteriously shut down without warning