Posing as a legitimate distributor, an individual illegally sold and distributed sports and entertainment programming licensed for distribution by beIN Media Group in the Middle East and North Africa; including programming from UEFA, Premier League and LaLiga.
The illegal services were sold from three locations in Bahrain. In 2022, the Third Lower Criminal Court of Bahrain had found that the individual had knowingly modified and resold beIN Media Group’s legitimate services illegally.
The Court established that the illegal service violated Articles 44/2 and 3, 45, and 111 of the Penal Law, as well as multiple sections of Law No. (6) of 2014 concerning cybercrimes, according to a report from the region. The Court rejected the individual’s efforts to deflect the charges, and was fined the equivalent of US$13,266.
The individual and the illegal services were not identified.
Further reading
Bahrain court rules against unauthorized rebroadcasting of beIN Channels. Article. July 11, 2024. The Peninsula (Qatar)
Why it matters
According to media reports from the region, this ruling set a precedent for legal actions against piracy in the Middle East region; which reportedly amounts to more than US$1 billion per year and undermines territorial distribution rights.
Compared with financial penalties levied in other jurisdictions, the penalty against this pirate seemed to be very low.
