Foreign satellite licensees not in breach
Licensees at three pubs have escaped conviction for showing foreign satellite football by saying they didn’t know they were breaching copyright law.
Under the law, to be convicted, licensees must have “dishonestly” received foreign satellite transmissions.
It was ruled that this was not the case at these three pubs.
However, Media Protection Services (MPS), which investigates the screenings, said licensees of 47 pubs have been prosecuted since last July for showing foreign satellite football.
They’ve been forced to pay an average of just over £1,500 in fines and costs.
MPS said prosecutions are for screenings outside the “closed period” of 3pm on Saturdays and include cards both from inside and outside Europe.
About 100 cases per month are going to court, said the group.
Last November the Premier League said it would be “pointless” bringing new prosecutions until after the landmark Karen Murphy legal case, at the European Court of Justice.
However, Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson warned that action would be taken against licensees who use the systems after the Murphy appeal.
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