A licensee in Stockton-on-Tees, UK, was showing Sky Sports programming illegally in their premises, and was ordered in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) to pay damages for infringing Sky’s copyright by following successful legal action taken by Sky.
A total of £19,950.24 included damages in the total sum of £12,163.24, plus interest, plus Sky’s costs of £7,786.40. The premise and licensee was The Bank TS20, 53 High Street, Stockton-on-Tees, TS20 1AH. Donald Laroche is the premises license holder (PLH) and designated premises supervisor (DPS).
“Now more than ever it’s important to protect the investment of our customers. Businesses that show Sky Sports illegally can leave our legitimate Sky subscribers feeling short-changed,” said Sara Stewart, Head of Compliance at Sky Business.
“Venues who continue to televise content in this way are breaking the law, and are at risk of being caught, which can result in licensees being ordered to pay significant damages and legal costs to Sky.”
Sky visits every licensed premises reported by other publicans and/or organisations for illegally showing Sky and arranges to visit hundreds of pubs each week in towns and cities across the UK. Any licensee affected by these issues can report suspected illegal broadcasting confidentially at Sky.
Further reading
Licensee in Stockton-on-Tees ordered to pay damages & costs in the sum of £19,950.24 for Sky Sports infringements. Press release. November 27, 2024. Sky Business
Why it matters
This successful case forms a key part of Sky’s commitment to protecting pubs who invest in legitimate Sky Sports subscriptions. Sky is dedicated to taking action to protect the investment of
our customers and ensuring that they aren’t unfairly losing business due to those that are illegally showing Sky Sports in their venue.
Sky is one of Europe’s leading media and entertainment companies and is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company. Sky Business is the business-to-business division of Sky.
