Hampshire pub wins Premier League legal battle (From Daily Echo)
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Karen Murphy wins legal battle with Premier League over foreign decoders conviction
11:06am Friday 24th February 2012 in Business
Karen Murphy
A HAMPSHIRE pub landlady has won her legal battle to overturn her conviction for using foreign decoders to show Premier League football matches.
It was conceded in the High Court today that Karen Murphy's appeal over using a cheaper Greek decoder in her Portsmouth pub to bypass controls over match screening must be allowed.
The concession follows a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling that found partly in her favour on various issues of law.
But a judge made clear that many other complex issues regarding the wider legality of screening matches would have to be decided ''at a later date''.
Instead of using Sky, which has the rights to screen the Premier League in the UK, Ms Murphy used the Greek station Nova's coverage in her pub, which was cheaper than the equivalent Sky package.
She paid £800 a year for a Greek decoder, saying she ''couldn't afford'' Sky's charge of £700 a month.
She took her fight for the right to use the cheaper provider to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) which ruled in October 2011 that having an exclusive system was ''contrary to EU law''.
But the Premier League claimed a partial victory, after the ECJ said it maintained the copyright for some sections of the broadcast, such as on-screen logos and graphics.
Mrs Murphy, who runs The Red, White and Blue pub in Fawcett Road, Portsmouth, said she believed she had won ''90%'' of the battle.
The ruling was enough for all sides to concede today at London's High Court that Ms Murphy's conviction could not stand, - though many issues over screening games remain outstanding.
Mrs Murphy took her fight to the ECJ after being ordered to pay almost £8,000 in fines and costs.
The case is being seen as of importance to the way soccer TV rights are sold in the future and could have a crucial impact on the game as a whole.
Comments(31)
MisterGrimsdale
says...
11:22am Fri 24 Feb 12
Shoong
says...
11:40am Fri 24 Feb 12
MisterGrimsdale wrote:I'm not sure about 'killed' football, English football has prospered in some respects & it's a much safer place to go now.
Sky's money has killed football. Well done to this lady for hitting back. I'll be in for a pint.
Yes, there are drawbacks but it's a business & business's rely on making money.
Being a Saints supporter, we've seen the bad side of it, but I don't think you'll find anyone protesting outside of St Mary's if the club are promoted to the Premier League this year.
Yes, the financial balance in football is severely out of whack, but if you take P*mpey's example, they are a poorly run business & just like any other poorly run business they are subject to the same rules & regulations.
Anyways, it could be that the locals won't have a team to support for much longer, they've got to have something to watch.
Seedhouse the Unrepentant
says...
11:53am Fri 24 Feb 12
MisterGrimsdale wrote:No it hasn't. It's the incompetent way in which it has been spent by clubs on ever higher wages that has killed football.
Sky's money has killed football. Well done to this lady for hitting back. I'll be in for a pint.
alan.of.eastleigh
says...
11:58am Fri 24 Feb 12
MisterGrimsdale wrote:You know you will have to go to Portsouth to do that don't you. You really want to do that???
Sky's money has killed football. Well done to this lady for hitting back. I'll be in for a pint.
Seedhouse the Unrepentant
says...
1:15pm Fri 24 Feb 12
Matt Probert
says...
2:07pm Fri 24 Feb 12
hassankeith
says...
2:52pm Fri 24 Feb 12
costa gaz
says...
3:23pm Fri 24 Feb 12
Can't wait for the glorious day that football becomes a realistic game once more, when footballers become normal blokes and not A list celebrities flouting their wealth and status to all.
southy
says...
3:27pm Fri 24 Feb 12
MisterGrimsdale wrote:She as done a good thing, we are ment to be in an open free trade market place.
Sky's money has killed football. Well done to this lady for hitting back. I'll be in for a pint.
freefinker
says...
5:26pm Fri 24 Feb 12
southy wrote:.. but, didn't you oppose joining the EC in the 1975 referendum?
MisterGrimsdale wrote:She as done a good thing, we are ment to be in an open free trade market place.
Sky's money has killed football. Well done to this lady for hitting back. I'll be in for a pint.
.. and, aren't you opposed to the 'open free trade (i.e. capitalist) market place?
dango
says...
6:32pm Fri 24 Feb 12
southy wrote:Southy, I knew it, a closet capitalist. I'm taking a screenshot of that post, printing it and framing it!
MisterGrimsdale wrote:She as done a good thing, we are ment to be in an open free trade market place.
Sky's money has killed football. Well done to this lady for hitting back. I'll be in for a pint.
Nine Toes.
says...
6:56pm Fri 24 Feb 12
SPIKEISLANDTRADER
says...
7:26pm Fri 24 Feb 12
Bovine_Cannibal
says...
7:30pm Fri 24 Feb 12
Fatty x Ford Worker
says...
7:37pm Fri 24 Feb 12
andysaints007
says...
7:40pm Fri 24 Feb 12
Seedhouse the Unrepentant wrote:Yes it has!! Or more to the point it has 'killed football' as we knew it !!! Now its about money not football unfortunately - but thats the way of the world now!!
MisterGrimsdale wrote:No it hasn't. It's the incompetent way in which it has been spent by clubs on ever higher wages that has killed football.
Sky's money has killed football. Well done to this lady for hitting back. I'll be in for a pint.
The Salv
says...
7:58pm Fri 24 Feb 12
Matt Probert wrote:Commercially maybe but they will hit the normal home customers with the higher charges instead. Far as I am concerned she has opened up a can of worms and all so she could make more profit nothing to do with not being able to afford it. When your Sky bills go up you know who to thank.
Sounds like a great victory for free trade, might make Sky reconsider its excessive charges.
forest hump
says...
8:17pm Fri 24 Feb 12
The Salv wrote:Easy, dump SKY, use Greek! Not hard is it?
Matt Probert wrote:Commercially maybe but they will hit the normal home customers with the higher charges instead. Far as I am concerned she has opened up a can of worms and all so she could make more profit nothing to do with not being able to afford it. When your Sky bills go up you know who to thank.
Sounds like a great victory for free trade, might make Sky reconsider its excessive charges.
bazzeroz
says...
8:22pm Fri 24 Feb 12
The Salv
says...
8:47pm Fri 24 Feb 12
forest hump wrote:Dont think it is quite as simple as that.
The Salv wrote:Easy, dump SKY, use Greek! Not hard is it?Matt Probert wrote: Sounds like a great victory for free trade, might make Sky reconsider its excessive charges.Commercially maybe but they will hit the normal home customers with the higher charges instead. Far as I am concerned she has opened up a can of worms and all so she could make more profit nothing to do with not being able to afford it. When your Sky bills go up you know who to thank.
Reality-man
says...
9:24pm Fri 24 Feb 12
southy
says...
9:49pm Fri 24 Feb 12
dango wrote:LOL dango, read between my lines. and what I have said in the pass.
southy wrote:Southy, I knew it, a closet capitalist. I'm taking a screenshot of that post, printing it and framing it!
MisterGrimsdale wrote:She as done a good thing, we are ment to be in an open free trade market place.
Sky's money has killed football. Well done to this lady for hitting back. I'll be in for a pint.
There is such thing as an open free Trade market, because the Corporation control it, and they will not allow a Nationalise Industry, They don't like the ordinary person on the street to be able to take there business, to any where they like a round the world to do there trade.
To the Corporations you can do business with who ever you like as long its with them.
opera phantom
says...
10:00pm Fri 24 Feb 12
just glad to see one of our High Court
Judges over rule the European
Court. It's about time the EU
were put in their place.
Just a bunch of parasites, on the
fiddle and wanting to control us.
So Stuff them
southy
says...
10:01pm Fri 24 Feb 12
freefinker wrote:I was oppose to the EC, but sadly like all other seamen that was away at the time, was not allowed to vote in the referedum.
southy wrote:.. but, didn't you oppose joining the EC in the 1975 referendum?
MisterGrimsdale wrote:She as done a good thing, we are ment to be in an open free trade market place.
Sky's money has killed football. Well done to this lady for hitting back. I'll be in for a pint.
.. and, aren't you opposed to the 'open free trade (i.e. capitalist) market place?
The open world free trade market was an Socialist idea (Karl Marx), it was never meant to be controlled by the few the Capitalist, what you got is not an open market place, but a Monoploies controlled market place.
A true open market will allow all types of run Industrys including a Nationalised Industry and a State owned Co-op Industry, you be allowed to do your banking with who ever you like and not as it is now set up so there is a min limit to be able to, and people would have the freedom of choice who they trade with and where they trade with.
southy
says...
10:03pm Fri 24 Feb 12
Think about it
forest hump
says...
10:28pm Fri 24 Feb 12
opera phantom wrote:Agree absolutely. Europeans should keep their greedy snouts out.
While I don't follow football, I am
just glad to see one of our High Court
Judges over rule the European
Court. It's about time the EU
were put in their place.
Just a bunch of parasites, on the
fiddle and wanting to control us.
So Stuff them
southy
says...
11:02pm Fri 24 Feb 12
forest hump wrote:The concession follows a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling that found partly in her favour on various issues of law
opera phantom wrote:Agree absolutely. Europeans should keep their greedy snouts out.
While I don't follow football, I am
just glad to see one of our High Court
Judges over rule the European
Court. It's about time the EU
were put in their place.
Just a bunch of parasites, on the
fiddle and wanting to control us.
So Stuff them
southy
says...
11:04pm Fri 24 Feb 12
southy wrote:It only took place in our High Court the Judges where European Court Judges
forest hump wrote:The concession follows a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling that found partly in her favour on various issues of law
opera phantom wrote:Agree absolutely. Europeans should keep their greedy snouts out.
While I don't follow football, I am
just glad to see one of our High Court
Judges over rule the European
Court. It's about time the EU
were put in their place.
Just a bunch of parasites, on the
fiddle and wanting to control us.
So Stuff them
andysaints007
says...
2:28am Sat 25 Feb 12
forest hump wrote:It was the European court that found in her favour !! DOH
opera phantom wrote:Agree absolutely. Europeans should keep their greedy snouts out.
While I don't follow football, I am
just glad to see one of our High Court
Judges over rule the European
Court. It's about time the EU
were put in their place.
Just a bunch of parasites, on the
fiddle and wanting to control us.
So Stuff them
SPIKEISLANDTRADER
says...
8:05am Sat 25 Feb 12
The Salv says...
11:17am Fri 24 Feb 12