Pubs ordered to pay £19,500 for Premier League copyright breaches

A further two Scottish pubs have had injunctions awarded against them by the courts to prevent further screenings.

The Premier League has recently achieved a number of legal victories as part of its programme to protect its copyright and the investment made in English football’s top flight by Sky Sports and BT Sport.

The five pubs which have been breaching copyright by making unauthorised foreign broadcasts of its matches are:

1. Castle Bar and Signatures, Sunderland​ – ordered by the High Court to pay £5,000 in costs
2. The Bruford Arms, Wolverhampton ​– ordered by the High Court to pay £8,500 in costs
3. The Mix, Burnley​ – settled and agreed to pay the Premier League £6,000 in costs
4. The Horse Shoe Bar, Paisley – ​interim interdict awarded in Scottish Courts
5. Bogarts, Kirkaldy ​- interim interdict awarded in Scottish Courts

A Premier League spokesman said:“We are currently engaged in our largest ever pub and supplier investigations programme and will take action against pubs that breach our copyright by making unauthorised foreign broadcasts of Premier League football.

“Already this season we have conducted thousands of pub visits and commenced action against more than 250 publicans across England, Wales and Scotland.

“Costs awards are being made in our favour in the English High Court on a regular basis and we are beginning to have success in the Scottish Courts, with interim interdicts which prevent pubs from making unauthorised broadcasts of our matches, handed down to several pubs.

Supplier 'lies'​

“We would advise all publicans to ignore the lies peddled by suppliers who make false claims about the legality of foreign broadcasts of our matches, and to contact Sky Sports and BT Sport as they are both authorised to show live Premier League football in commercial premises in the UK.”

Last year two pubs were ordered by the High Court to pay a minimum of £65,000​ to the Premier League in costs following their persistent breaches of copyright by making unauthorised foreign broadcasts of matches in their pubs.