Kodi users have been given an update on the ongoing online piracy crackdown, after the maker of one set top box is being sued by Netflix and Amazon.

The Kodi surge continues without any sign of stopping, as users continue to ditch paid TV services for the online player.

Research has suggested Kodi - which offers access to thousands of channels - is being used in more than five million UK homes.

Kodi software is not illegal, but developers can produce third-party add-ons that provide free access to pirated and illegal content. 

These apps allow users to stream premium content, like paid-for sports and movie channels for free.

The illegal add-ons are being targeted by ISP's, government agencies, broadcasters and rights holders.

And now Netflix and Amazon have joined major Hollywood studios in a lawsuit against the Dragon Box, a device which makes use of Kodi add-ons.

The set top box costs around £255 and is in over a quarter million homes in the US. 

Variety said the lawsuit accuses Dragon Box of facilitating piracy by making it easy for customers to access illegal streams of movies and TV shows. 

The complaint alleges Dragon Box advertised the product as a way for users to avoid paying for authorised subscription services.

It quotes marketing material that encourages users to “Get rid of your premium channels … [and] Stop paying for Netflix and Hulu.”

The lawsuit alleges: “The commercial value of Defendants’ Dragon Box business depends on high-volume use of unauthorised content through the Dragon Box devices.

“Defendants promise their customers reliable and convenient access to all the content they can stream and customers purchase Dragon Box devices based on Defendants’ apparent success in delivering infringing content to their customers.”

On his LinkedIn page, Dragon Box CEO Paul Christoforo talked about the legalities of online streaming.

He wrote: “It is legal to stream content on the internet… We can’t be held liable for the movies and TV channels online that people are watching because all the software is doing is accessing content that is readily available online.”

The news comes after calls emerged for online piracy to get legalised. 

Peter Sunde is one of the founders of The Pirate Bay and was a spokesperson for the torrent portal for six years.

In a new interview, Sunde said he believes people should be able to share anything without restrictions.

And he’s calling for what currently constitutes online piracy to be redefined and made legal.

Sunde said: “The solution to piracy is to re-define piracy. Make things available to everyone, without that being a crime.”

Sunde also revealed that he believes there will be less online piracy in the future, with net neutrality playing a big part in that decrease in activity.

He said: “I think we’ll have less piracy because of the problems we see today. 

“With net neutrality being infringed upon and more laws against individual liberties and access to culture, instead of actually benefiting people.“