Pub operators fined £66,000 over football web streaming

A father and son who operate pubs in the Hull area face a bill of more than £115,000 for allowing streaming of Premier League football over the internet in 11 of their venues.

It is believed to be the first case involving copyright offences using internet systems, and not foreign decoder cards.

Alister Darroch and his son Charles were fined £33,000 each at Hull Magistrates Court yesterday for offences under the Copyright Designs and Patent Act relating to the broadcasting of Premier League games in their pubs. Both were fined £3,000 each per pub.

And both were also ordered to pay around £25,000 each in costs.

Hull police had previously raided and seized the internet equipment from the pubs.

It is understood the court rejected pleas from the defence that the case was affected by the recent opinion at the European Court of Justice relating to foreign decoder cards.

Ray Hoskin, managing director of Media Protection Services, which conducts investigations and prosecutions for the Premier League, said: "This serious case was notable for two reasons, the first being the scale of fines and costs imposed.

"The second is that this is the first case not directly involving a decoder card but copyright offences committed via an internet device.

"I am disappointed that a minority of publicans still ignore the many warnings given by the courts and ourselves over a period of years."