Scottish bar hit with £7,000 fine after Sky Sports copyright breach

A Scottish bar has been fined a total of £7,000 for showing Premier League football without the correct commercial viewing agreement.

Sarah McIntosh, DPS at Glasgow-based Avalon Bar, along with pubco Avalan Bar Ltd, were found guilty of breaching Sky's copyright following a three-day trial in February, has also been ordered to pay legal costs and to fund the placing of notices at the premises advertising the ruling.

Alison Dolan, deputy managing director at Sky Business, said: "The courts continue to send a clear message to pub landlords, warning them of the consequences of televising Sky’s content illegally by issuing large penalties and through orders  to fund advertising of the ruling.

"This season, we have increased enforcement of our copyright and will not hesitate to take further legal action to help ensure that the thousands of law-abiding pubs and clubs who pay for legitimate commercial Sky subscriptions are not short changed."

Last October, Mark Daly the designated premises manager at Glasgow’s Old College Bar was ordered to pay £10,000 in damages, plus Sky’s legal costs, as well as fund the placing of notices advertising the ruling for showing Sky Sports in his premises without the required commercial viewing agreement.