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Premier League piracy crackdown

February 17, 2017

By Colin Mann

Three suppliers of pre-loaded IPTV boxes that facilitate mass piracy of Premier League football broadcasts have been ordered to pay a total of £267,000 (€311,230) by the Courts for infringing copyright.

The three sellers of pre-loaded IPTV boxes ordered to pay costs are:

  • Football for Pubs Limited (based in Liverpool) was ordered by the High Court to cease the sale of the illegal devices and pay costs of £90,000;
  • Pub Entertainment Systems (based in Royston, Hertfordshire) was ordered by the High Court to cease the sale of the illegal devices and pay costs of £77,000;
  • Neosat was ordered to cease the sale of the illegal devices and pay costs totalling £100,000.

In a statement, Neosat said it recommended landlords to opt for Sky and/or BT to ensure that they were fully-compliant with all copyright laws. “Lastly, Neosat urges traders to take notice of the new laws and to withdraw their services rather than placing landlords at risk of prosecution,” it added.

These actions are part of a wide-ranging and sustained Premier League campaign to protect its copyright, the investment in its rights from Sky and BT and the benefits they bring across English football and beyond, and support the individuals and pubs that broadcast our matches the right way.

The High Court injunctions and orders to pay costs for the three suppliers follow a case in December 2016 that saw a seller of similar devices jailed for four years.

The Premier League also supported UK intellectual property protection body FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) in its recent raids of several IPTV box suppliers across the North-West of England that led to five people being arrested.

The focus of the Premier League’s protection of its copyright is not only sellers of IPTV boxes but also pubs that ignore warnings and broadcast matches on unauthorised foreign channels.

Pubs from Liverpool, London and Croydon are among 10 that have paid a total of £93,000 in costs for infringing copyright with unauthorised broadcasts of Premier League football.

A Premier League Spokesman said the actions were part of the largest anti-piracy campaign the Premier League has conducted to protect its copyright, and the investment from its UK live broadcasters Sky Sports and BT Sport.

“Like other sports and creative industries our model is predicated on the ability to market and sell rights and protect our intellectual property. It is because of this that clubs can invest in and develop talented players, build world class stadiums, and support young people in schools and communities across the country – all things that fans enjoy and wider society benefits from,” he added.

“These injunctions and costs orders, and the recent supplier of IPTV boxes sent to jail for four years, provide further evidence to consumers and the pub trade that the sale of these devices is illegal,” he concluded.

The latest pubs are:

  1. Lord Warden, Liverpool – ordered by the High Court to pay £20,000 in costs
  2. Old Fox and Hounds, Croydon – agreed to pay £5,300 in costs
  3. Sandpiper, Washington – ordered by the High Court to pay at least £15,000 in costs
  4. New Inn, Romford – agreed to pay £8,200 in costs
  5. Prince of Wales, London – ordered by the High Court to pay £11,000 in costs
  6. Fox and Hounds, Reading – agreed to pay £8,800 in costs
  7. New Inn, Shipley – agreed to pay £5,100 in costs
  8. Glebe Sports Club, Whickham – agreed to pay £7,900 in costs
  9. Pride of Pimlico, London – agreed to pay £5,400 in costs
  10. The New Inn, Maidenhead – agreed to pay £6,000 in costs

Categories: Articles, Broadcast, Content, Pay TV, Piracy, Rights