British pub wins case on screening football matches

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The Independent reports that a Portsmouth pub has won a legal battle overturning a previous conviction for violation of copyright laws. The pub landlady Karen Murphy used the Greek station Nova for screening Premier League football matches in her pub, while British broadcaster Sky has the actual copyright over the coverage in the UK. She paid £800 a year for a Greek decoder, saying she couldn't afford Sky's charge of £700 a month.

Mrs Murphy who runs The Red, White and Blue pub in Portsmouth, Hampshire, took her fight to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) after being ordered to pay almost £8,000 in fines and costs. "It's great news for pubs," she said. "I hope it changes the face of football." Her previous conviction had been under section 297(1) of the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988. The case win was only partial because under the court ruling, while live matches were not protected by copyright - any surrounding media, such as any opening video sequence, the Premier League anthem, pre-recorded films showing highlights of recent Premier League football matches and various graphics, were "works" protected by copyright.