Pubs face High Court action over live football
The FA Premier League (FAPL) is taking High Court action against five licensees over the screening of live football.
The five pubs are accused of showing matches on Saturday afternoons using Arab radio and television smart cards.
High Court writs have been issued to the five accusing them of breaching copyright by using the cards.
The five pubs are the Pig and Whistle, Abbey Street, Nuneaton, Warwickshire; the London House, Chapel Street, Rugby, Warwickshire; Earls, Earl Street, Maidstone, Kent; the Kings Head Hotel, Rochester, Kent and the Crabtree, Crabtree Lane, Lancing, West Sussex.
Screening the matches could affect crowd numbers and gate receipts for live matches, the FAPL says.
The FAPL is seeking an injunction banning them from infringing copyright in the matches and from breaching the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988.
It has accused the five pubs of showing the matches without having any commercial viewing arrangement with Sky or permission from the Premier League or Arab Radio and Television.
The FAPL is looking to force the courts to hand over all decoder boxes and smart cards and name which games they have shown and how much money they have generated.
It is claimed that the licensees have either not responded to the writ or have denied breaching copyright.
Dan Johnson, chief spokesman for the FAPL confirmed that the writs had been issued as a result of the pubs continuing to breach the FAPL's copyright. The pubs have contended this, he said.
He added: "It is quite simple, using foreign satellite systems is illegal and we will continue to use all appropriate means to prosecute licensees engaging in copyright theft."
