If you use Kodi to illegally stream TV shows, movies and sport you could be in danger of facing up to 10 years in prison.
The new law comes under the Digital Economy Act, which received Royal Assent on April 28.
The Act covers a number of others areas including broadband speeds, access to online pornography and government data-sharing.
The Mirror reported that the law was passed through after a recommendation was put forward by the UK International Property Office (IPO).
The maximum prison term for copyright infringement has also been increased from two years to 10.
What does this mean for users?
This means that people pirating online content could (in theory) face up to 10 years in prison, including for using Kodi boxes.
CEO of FACT Kieron Sharp told the told Mirror Tech that the copyright measures included in the bill are primarily targeted at those committing a serious offence. Anyone "making a business" out of selling illegal content could potentially face up to 10 years rather than two in prison.
Those who casually stream a couple of movies every once in a while are extremely unlikely to be prosecuted to such extremes.
He said: "For minor matters, nothing changes, but it should hopefully provide a little bit of clarity."
What does the new law state?
Regardless of the practicalities of enforcing the bill, the Act does mean those using streaming services or torrents to watch copyrighted material are - under the letter of the law - criminals.
As the Open Rights Group notes, Clause 27 of the Act states that criminal liability is to be determined by "causing loss" and "risk of loss" to the owner of the copyright.
This is defined as failing to pay a licence fee. So ordinary people engaged in domestic "file sharing" on a non-commercial basis could potentially find themselves facing long jail sentences.
Kodi crackdown
Kodi is becoming a growing issue for broadcasters because it easily offers pirated content to its owners.
The police are trying to crackdown on people selling and distributing devices that are pre-packed with Kodi add-ons.
Selling devices that are loaded with add-ons is a breach of the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988.
In March 2016, Malcolm Mayes, from Hartlepool, was sentenced to ten months in prison (suspended for one year) and ordered to pay costs of £170,000.
Using Kodi software (which can be installed on smartphones or PCs) remains legal – it’s just installing add-ons to allow piracy which is the problem.
