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Satellite TV News Pub's in Liverpool and Manchester ordered to pay more than ?6,000 for illegal Sky UK

False Prophet

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Posted on October 2 2014

Following successful prosecutions by The Federation Against Copyright Theft (?FACT?), licensees of the Hark to Towler in Heywood, Greater Manchester, and Jimmy O?s in Liverpool, have been convicted and fined for showing Sky Sports illegally in their premises. These convictions follow 15 successful prosecutions brought by FACT this football season alone, bringing total fines and costs paid by licensees across the UK to over ?88,000.

On 18th September 2014, at Liverpool Magistrates Court, Mr Gary Blade and Ms. Julie Collings of Jimmy O?s in Liverpool were each found guilty in absence of two offences of dishonest reception of a television transmission (a Sky televised football match) at the above licensed premises without a commercial viewing agreement with the intent to avoid payment of the applicable charge, contrary to Section 297 (1) of the Copyright Design and Patents Act 1988. Mr Blade and Ms. Collings were ordered to pay a combined total of ?3,127 in fines and costs.

In a separate case, on Monday 22nd September 2014 at Bury Magistrates Court, Mr. Eric Joseph Hoyle the Designated Premise Supervisor of the Hark to Towler pub in Manchester, was convicted in his absence of two offences of dishonest reception of a television transmission (Sky televised football matches) at the above licensed premises with the intent to avoid payment of the applicable charge, contrary to Section 297 (1) of the Copyright Design and Patents Act 1988. Mr. Hoyle was ordered to pay a total of ?3,800.

Stephen Gerrard, Prosecuting Manager, FACT, said: ?People found to be showing Sky in commercial premises without having entered into the correct commercial subscription agreement with Sky face criminal prosecution, costs and potential loss of their licence. It simply isn?t worth the risk when licensees, employees and associated companies can each face fines of up to ?5,000 for every offence they commit, or each match that they show. This is starkly demonstrated by a conviction involving a pub in Doncaster last month, where total fines and costs amounted to more than ?22,600.?

These convictions were carried out by FACT on behalf of its members and form a key part of Sky?s commitment to protecting pubs who honestly invest in legitimate Sky Sports subscriptions. The company is committed to visiting every licensed premise reported by other publicans and/or organisations for illegally showing Sky. In total, Sky has made arrangements to visit more than 700 pubs each week in towns and cities across the UK this season.

Alison Dolan, Deputy Managing Director, Sky Business, said: ?It?s important to us to protect the investment that thousands of hardworking licensees make in Sky Sports to drive value for their businesses, which is why we work closely with FACT to identify and act on unauthorised use.?

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DirtyDonki

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Bloody crooks! Should be sent to Irak! :lol:

I do wonder though, if the word 'prosecutions' should be substituted with 'persecutions'.

Kind of makes me laugh when I see one thieving crook taking another thieving crook to court & thereby stealing even more money from them.

I am not saying pubs shouldn't pay but what they are being asked to pay is extortionate. I'm almost tempted to say racketeering.

Alison D's comment at the end of the article is one of the biggest crocks I've read in a long time. Sky subscribers have nothing to do with subsidising Pub sub's. If anything it is the other way around.
 

False Prophet

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STY have been doing this for years, in an economy which is trying to build back up they are hammering the small business owners (pubs) over these types of offences

GK, this comment made me laugh

"Kind of makes me laugh when I see one thieving crook taking another thieving crook to court & thereby stealing even more money from them. " :lol:
 

sillyme

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It happened in Hull too this Summer. My friend, one of many convicted landlords told me that FACT actually provided an incentivised "grass line" to other publicans....

So if your pub is full on a football day and their pub isn,t.. You'll be expecting a visit - no doubt!

Outrageous..
 

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