Four pubs have been ordered by the High Court to pay a total of £30,000 in costs to the Premier League over a breach of copyright.
In the wake of the Murphy case, the Premier League had been able to establish copyright over its theme and interstitials as a means to prevent the public screening of its matches from channels other than the licensed Sky Sports and BT Sport.
Portsmouth pub landlady Karen Murphy had campaigned to use a subscription from the Greek Nova sat caster, rather than pay the rates set by Sky.
The New Inn (Swindon), The Linley Tavern (Stoke), The Huntsman (Rochester) and The Happy Wanderer (Durham) are the latest pubs to be caught by the ruling.
It follows a ruling earlier this month that Manchester pub The Red Beret should pay £8,000 costs to the Premier League for the unauthorized breach of Premier League copyright.
“We will continue to take action against commercial premises that breach our copyright by making unauthorised foreign broadcasts of Premier League football,” said an FA spokesman. “Already this season we have conducted hundreds of pub visits and commenced action against dozens of publicans, with cost awards being made in our favour on a regular basis”.
“Our messages to publicans are clear: ignore the lies peddled by suppliers who make false claims about the legality of foreign broadcasts. And broadcast Premier League football in your pubs the right way – via Sky Sports and BT Sport commercial agreements,” he declared.
