Pub Landlady Wins TV Football Court Case - NEW!!

[flyingpig]

Pub Landlady Karen Murphy, Of Portsmouth, Wins Premier League Football Decoder High Court Battle | UK News | Sky News

Today - Karen Murphy was acquitted at the high court.. This is a landmark case in the eyes of the law - as it sets precedent, so the Premier League will have to take another route to prosecute, and we know it will happen soon...!!

[tshirtman]

this case only quashes her conviction on technicalities,
it doesn't mean she can show the EPL on Greek decoders

"On Friday the high court quashed her conviction because the Premier League had won its original case on the basis that Murphy was illegally airing the body's games copyrighted for use solely in Greece.

The European court of justice ruled last October that it was not possible to enforce copyright on a territory by territory basis."

However, it backed the Premier League, stating that it could take legal action on the basis that pubs that take foreign feeds are illegally broadcasting FAPL copyrighted elements in each match such as opening video sequences, theme music, on-screen graphics and highlights of previous matches.

"The law gives us the right to prevent the unauthorised use of our copyrights in pubs and clubs when they are communicated to the public without our authority," said a spokesman for the Premier League. "That unauthorised use gives rise to both civil and criminal penalties."

The ECJ said that fans at home can buy foreign set-top boxes and decoder cards.

However, it said that the Premier League could pursue pubs and clubs that looked to benefit commercially from airing matches bought in at a lower price from foreign providers and bypassing official rights holder BSkyB.

"Should Mrs Murphy, or any other publican, use European Economic Area foreign satellite systems to show Premier League football on their premises without our authority and outside the scope of our authorisation, they make themselves liable for us to take action against them in both the civil and criminal courts," the Premier League spokesman.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/feb/24/pub-landlady-karen-murphy-premier-league

[flyingpig]

Well some precedants are now set and becoming clear with guidance from the UK courts.

It appears that it is now legal, and would be illegal for any satellite provider to try and stop domestic or commerial pan european subscriptions. However, with regards to broadcasting, if in a public place, i.e. pub they can show the game live, but cannot have the commentary, score, or credits before or after the game. So they can show the actual live footage without breaking any copyright!!!!

That is the law. Lets hope some publicans use this loophole!

[tshirtman]

they'll get round that loophole very easy, all they need to do is insist any tv company showing EPL games put an EPL water mark on all pictures then there breaching copyright law.

[super jumbe]

When we talk about Europeans free market law, why the ~~~~ she ended in court in the first place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tshirtman]

When we talk about Europeans free market law, why the ~~~~ she ended in court in the first place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it's not the free market there disputing now, the European court found in her favour on that argument, that's why she just got her criminal conviction quashed,
the premier league are now fighting on the grounds of copyright laws.

[TheCoder]

....the premier league are now fighting on the grounds of copyright laws.

...and those are mostly controlled by international agreement, to which most EU countries are signatories. That makes the EU courts effectively powerless to interfere.

[tshirtman]

...and those are mostly controlled by international agreement, to which most EU countries are signatories. That makes the EU courts effectively powerless to interfere.

I agree, that was the point I was making above.