Sky Italia warns pubs over use of viewing cards

By James Wilmore

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags British sky broadcasting

Sky Italia has warned licensees using its cards outside Italy to stop "immediately" and return them to the company - or they will be switched off....

Sky Italia has warned licensees using its cards outside Italy to stop "immediately" and return them to the company - or they will be switched off.

The company, which has placed a full page advert in the BII members' magazine, also said it is taking action against "a number" of foreign satellite dealers to "stamp out illicit activity".

The advert says: "We are aware that unscrupulous dealers are selling Sky Italia viewing cards to commercial premises in the UK in contravention of the terms of use… we will terminate entitlements on any viewing card which is identified as being used outside of Italy."

Sky Italia, which like Sky in the UK is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, said it had taken back a number of viewing cards from pubs over the past season and "terminated viewing without warning".

"This activity will be continued on an ongoing basis," the company said.

However Sky Italia said licensees can return cards to the cards to the company by emailing: sortitout@skytv.it

Ray Hoskin, managing director of Media Protection Services (MPS), which is paid by the Premier League to investigate and prosecute pubs using foreign satellite systems, said the warning should apply to all foreign cards.

He added that MPS was studying areas to target for the start of the new season in August.

"Dealers tend to target areas where new clubs have been promoted to the Premier League so we will be sending people there for the new season," he said.

Hoskin said he had heard no news of when Portsmouth licensee Karen Murphy's foreign satellite appeal would be heard at the European Court of Justice.

Foreign satellite dealers and lawyers representing them argue the systems should be legal under EU competition laws.

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