Court action mounting against TV footy cheats
by Tony Halstead
More licensees are facing criminal prosecutions for illegally screening live Saturday afternoon Premiership soccer in their bars.
The Premier League says 19 court cases are already in the pipeline for January, with a significant increase in legal action planned for the rest of 2005.
All the prosecutions involve pubs using systems to show matches via foreign TV station broadcasts during the 2.45pm to 5.15pm "closed" period.
The league has warned that the New Year will see inspectors step up visits to pubs to catch out licensees screening the broadcasts.
Premiership bosses have again warned the trade that it is illegal to screen matches on Saturday afternoon or show non-Sky footage of games in the UK.
Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson said: "There are no exceptions, no loopholes in European law and no signs you can put in your premises to exempt you.
"The fee you are paying does not make it legal, and even if you declare a lock-in or private party, you are still committing an offence."
Johnson said licensees or bar owners using these systems were breaking the law and liable to a £5,000 fine.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), which prosecutes on behalf of the Premier League, said every case taken out against a licensee this season has resulted in a successful conviction.
"The court has found in the league's favour on every occasion and those who have tried to challenge our right to prosecute have failed," said litigation officer Ray Hoskin.
FACT said it does not want to make criminals of licensees or put their livelihoods at risk but stresses it is duty bound to prosecute each case it uncovers.
The prosecution policy is designed to protect the Premier League's rights and safeguard the interests of law-abiding pub and bar operators.
"We want to publicise the fact that the systems are illegal, especially for those licensees who may unwittingly have had them installed as a result of false claims by companies who supply them or those who do not fully understand the law," said Johnson.
