—“We took them down and they will remain down and we will link to the iPlayer instead,” CEO Beat Knecht told paidContent:UK. “This is to comply with a request of theirs; and it frees us to launch a web presence next to the downloadable player and also support additional devices.” Unclear if this refers to iPlayer’s live - or only VOD - programming.

—The BBC tells us: “The BBC has not authorised the streaming of BBC channels through Zattoo, and we’re pleased that they have ceased their unauthorised retransmissions. All our TV channels can be streamed live online through the BBC iPlayer.”

The UK has never been a core country for Switzerland-based Zattoo. Its UK country manager left with another colleague last summer, since when operations have been handled from Zurich.

The company has several formal carriage relationships with channels, but is re-transmitting UK public service channels because it says it’s considered a qualifying service under section 73 of the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act. To our knowledge, no-one’s submitted a court challenge testing that claim, but regardless, it’s likely its practice of inserting ads in the stream when viewers change channels didn’t go down too well at the BBC.

Channel 4 is also taking an interest: “Channel 4 is aware of Zattoo, which does not have consent to carry the Channel 4 service,” a spokesperson tells paidContent:UK. “Channel 4, like the BBC and other broadcasters, takes the issue of online TV streaming sites using our content without consent very seriously and we are actively pursuing a number of these sites.  We will continue to monitor Zattoo and we reserve the right to pursue any site, including Zattoo, which we believe to be infringing our copyright or using our content in an unlicensed, illegal capacity.”

Update: Five tells paidContent:UK: “We’re aware of the situation and certainly don’t accept that this company’s streaming of our channels is legitimate. We’re currently reviewing our options which could include legal action.”

Update (2): And ITV (LSE: ITV) says: “Zattoo does not have consent to carry ITV services. ITV reserves the right to pursue any site or service which we believe to be infringing our copyright or using our content in an unlicensed, illegal capacity.”

This is just one of a series of new actions by the Beeb...

—We understand the BBC is ready to go after other services doing the same as Zattoo, including Swansea-based iPhone TV app Yamgo.

—In February, it ordered app maker Camiloo to stop redistributing its iPlayer content through its Rewat.ch app.

—And last year the BBC refused to help IP Vision build a custom iPlayer integration in to its Fetch TV IPTV service.

The BBC is due to bring out its own iPlayer app in the next couple of months, if the trust agrees that it doesn’t need to give full scrutiny to Auntie’s apps strategy, as requested by newspapers.

BBC online video syndication guidelines are up in the air. In October, it said it will only consider specific iPlayer technology adjustments for platforms with over 100,000 users and whole custom builds for those with over 500,000 users. But the BBC Trust said the BBC should not have laid down these guidelines without consulting it, and so the guidelines were undone while the trust reviews the situation.

Even BSkyB’s Sky Player website carries some iPlayer exposure - but only via links to iPlayer’s own website, not integrated in to Sky Player’s own service.