Many Kodi devices come pre-loaded with third party plug-ins and add-ons that allow users to stream pirated content to their TV. It is selling these "fully loaded" TV set-top devices that is a breach of the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988.

If you download an illegally copied file, that would constitute copyright infringement. However, when you stream something online, the file is stored only temporarily on your computer - and temporary copies are exempt from copyright laws. In a landmark ruling in 2014, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that internet users who look at copyrighted material online aren't breaking the law by doing so, citing Article 5.1 of the EU Copyright Directive.

"It is extremely unlikely that the football authorities would pursue cases against individuals who watch games in this manner with the more desirable avenue to bring claims directly against the file sharing sites through the ISPs."

As I bet responsibly and stream responsibly, I bought an unloaded box and also installed Kodi on my laptop myself. I can watch (but certainly not download streams) with a totally clean conscience - unlike those sanctimonious types who spread fear and despondency on Friday - and then watch streams on Saturday.

(Of course, the above does not apply to ill-advised folk who have bought a fully-loaded Kodi box in the last two months. They will be hurled into Purgatory where they will spend eternity watching a perpetually buffering City game)