Firm fined £15,500 for soccer scam

The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) has successfully prosecuted a company which "pirated" internet codes to supply cards to pubs to enable them to screen illegal live soccer matches.

North West Aerials and Satellite Supplies of Swinton in Greater Manchester charged publicans up to £995 for illicit cards and equipment to screen live Premiership matches on Saturday afternoons.

FACT says it is the first time a supplier has been prosecuted for providing equipment to enable licensees to breach the Saturday afternoon live broadcasting embargo used to protect domestic soccer match attendances.

The company, three directors and an office manager, were fined a total of £15,500 at Manchester Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to defraud charges.

Company directors Michael Holt, 37, David Regan, 38, and Peter Ravald, 37, all from Horwich, near Bolton, were fined £3,000 each, while office manager Ian Fletcher, 38, of Bolton was fined £1,500.

The company itself was fined £5,000 by Judge Peter Lakin, who told the defendants that offences involving copyright must be taken seriously by the courts.

The offences involved the use of foreign television station subscriptions cards.

These were used to allow licensees to screen Saturday afternoon Premiership games that had been sold toforeign stations only for broadcast outside the UK.

Mr Justice Lakin said: "The Premiership has a very valuable product and is entitled to expect the courts to protect that product when it is under threat from piracy."

FACT director general Brian Conlon said: "We are looking at the supply side of this fraud in great detail with a view to taking action against companies which provide this equipment just as much as the licensees who show these matches illegally.