Premier League: "no amnesty for pubs
The Premier League has warned there is "no amnesty" for pubs showing foreign satellite football despite the legal hiatus created by one licensee's High Court appeal.
If Karen Murphy, licensee of the Red, White and Blue in Portsmouth, is successful in her application for a High Court appeal, prosecutions in lower courts are likely to go on hold until it has been heard.
Despite the wait of eight or ten months, the Premier League has warned that it will continue to visit pubs which are showing foreign satellite football and gather evidence for future cases if Murphy's appeal is eventually dismissed.
We will continue to do our job and see what the result of the appeal is Ray Hoskins, of Media Protection Services.
Ray Hoskins, of Media Protection Services, which carries out prosecutions on behalf of the Premier League, told morningadvertiser.co.uk: "We are still gathering evidence against pubs and suppliers. There is no amnesty as far as we are concerned just because there is an appeal pending.
"We will continue to do our job and see what the result of the appeal is."
Hoskin said suppliers should still be wary of prosecution as Murphy's appeal only affected the section of the Copyright Act used to prosecute licensees.
"For suppliers nothing has changed. There are plenty of other laws we can use to prosecute suppliers and plenty of action we can take that will not be affected by this case."
Morning Advertiser legal expert Peter Coulson has warned licensees to be wary of investing in foreign satellite systems despite the High Court appeal.
He believes that suppliers could use the time between now and the case coming to court to sell as many systems as possible.
"It is a very clever postponement as it will give the suppliers an opportunity to carry on selling as they will argue no further prosecutions can be heard until the High Court decision.
"I would advise any licensee buying equipment to get it on sale or return."
