FIFA, CASBAA Team for Legal Action Against Pay-TV Pirates

HONG KONG, July 20: CASBAA has joined forces with FIFA and Hong
Kong Cable Television to initiate legal proceedings against a number of public
venues for allegedly airing unlicensed pay-TV broadcasts of the World Cup.

CASBAA, representing the interests of 110 cable and
satellite companies in the region, says that writs had been served on five
bars, and cease and desist letters have been sent to an unspecified number of
public venues across Hong Kong. CASBAA, FIFA and Hong Kong Cable TV are seeking
monetary damages for the copyright infringements. If received, those damages,
minus legal costs, will be donated to local sports charities.

“Although the industry reached out to the Hong Kong food and
beverage industry in the run up to the World Cup, stating that pay-TV signal
theft is not to be tolerated by government or industry, many bars blatantly
screened unlicensed pay-TV broadcasts,” said Simon Twiston Davies, the CEO of
CASBAA. “We have had no choice but to take the matter to the courts.”

He continued, “The issue of intellectual property rights
protection requires concerted efforts on all fronts between the government,
industry, bar and club owners and the general public, especially as we run up
to other global events such as the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and recurring high
value events such as the English Premier League. The sports leagues who stage
major events need a fair return on their investment.”