Five face High Court for football screening
Five licensees are being taken to the High Court by the Premier League in a row over the screening of live football matches.
The Premier League accuses the five of showing matches by using Arab Radio and Television smart cards, in breach of copyright.
The licensees and the pubs concerned are : Michael Madden, of the Pig and Whistle in Abbey Street, Nuneaton; Sanjay Raval and David Greenslade, of Earls, Earl Street, Maidstone; SR Leisure of Kings head Hotel, Rochester; Philip Houghton, of The Crabtree, Crabtree Lane, Lancing; and Derek Owen, of London House, Chapel Street, Rugby.
A writ issued at London's High Court and just made publicly available says that the landlords have been using the Arab decoder and smart card, which are not authorised for use in the UK, and allowing people to watch football matches in the closed period on Saturday afternoons. It claims that this could have a detrimental effect on gate attendances, ticket sales, and revenue.
The Premier League accuses the five of repeated, persistent and flagrant breaches of copyrights, and says they have a cynical disregard for the League's rights, and are determined to show the infringing matches to make substantial profits for themselves.
The licensees have either failed to reply to solicitors' letters, or have denied infringing copyright, and plan to defend the claim it is alleged.
Now the Premier League is suing the five and seeks injunctions banning them from infringing copyright in the soccer matches, and from breaching the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The Premier League is also seeking an order forcing them to hand over all decoder boxes, Smart cards, and other apparatus which would breach the injunction if used for commercial purposes, and disclosure of the Premiership matches they have shown.
And it is demanding they would give up the identities of any third parties involved, and an order for an inquiry into damages for an account of profits, and payment of all sums found due.
Foreign broadcasters are banned from supplying smart cards to be used in the UK, the writ says. The Premier League accuses the five of broadcasting the matches without having any commercial viewing arrangement with Sky or permission from the Premier League or Arab Radio and Television.
