Matchroom Boxing Ltd v British Telecommunications Plc

JurisdictionEngland & Wales
JudgeMr Justice Arnold
Judgment Date20 September 2018
Neutral Citation[2018] EWHC 2443 (Ch)
Docket NumberCase No: IL-2018-000155
CourtChancery Division
Date20 September 2018

[2018] EWHC 2443 (Ch)

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LIST (CHANCERY DIVISION)

Rolls Building

Fetter Lane, London, EC2A 1NL

Before:

Mr Justice Arnold

Case No: IL-2018-000155

Between:
(1) Matchroom Boxing Limited
(2) Matchroom Sport Limited
Claimants
and
(1) British Telecommunications Plc
(2) EE Limited
(3) Plusnet Plc
(4) Sky UK Limited
(5) Talktalk Telecom Limited
(6) Virgin Media Limited
Defendants

Jaani Riordan, instructed by DLA Piper UK LLP, made written submissions on behalf of the Claimants

The Defendants were not represented

The application was considered on paper

Judgment Approved

Mr Justice Arnold
1

On 8 March 2017 I made an order on the application of Football Association Premier League Ltd (“FAPL”) requiring the Defendants to take measures to block, or at least impede, access by their customers to streaming servers which deliver infringing live streams of Premier League match footage to UK consumers (“Target Servers”). I gave my reasons for making that order in Football Association Premier League Ltd v British Telecommunications plc [2017] EWHC 480 (Ch), [2017] ECC 17 (“ FAPL v BT I”). Since then I have made two further orders in favour of FAPL and I have made two similar orders in favour of Union Des Associations Européennes De Football (“UEFA”) in respect of streaming servers which deliver infringing live streams of UEFA match footage to UK consumers.

2

The Claimants (“Matchroom”) now seek similar orders in respect of streaming servers which deliver infringing live streams of footage of professional boxing matches staged by Matchroom (“Events”).

3

Matchroom typically organise around 22–23 Events a year. A number of the Events feature the British boxer Anthony Joshua, who currently holds four of the five world heavyweight titles. One such event is the forthcoming Event headlined by the bout between Mr Joshua and Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium in London on 22 September 2018. Events typically run from 1700 to 2300 on the day in question and include a number of other fights in addition to the headline fight.

4

In the UK, the Events are broadcast by the Fourth Defendant (“Sky”) pursuant to exclusive agreements with Matchroom under which (in the case of Events featuring Mr Joshua) Matchroom own the copyrights in the broadcasts and films and (in the case of other Events) Sky owns the copyrights, but has assigned the right to bring the present proceedings to Matchroom. Sky broadcasts the Events on either a standard or a pay-per-view basis (“Standard Events” and “PPV...

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2 cases
  • Queensberry Promotions Ltd v British Telecommunications Plc
    • United Kingdom
    • Chancery Division
    • 30 d5 Novembro d5 2018
    ...the order were very similar to those I gave for making a similar order in Matchroom Boxing Ltd v British Telecommunications plc [2018] EWHC 2443 (Ch), which I shall not repeat. During the course of the application, however, a new issue arose which it is appropriate to address. 2 Queensberry......
  • Union Des Associations Europeennes De Football v Eircom Ltd T/A Eir
    • Ireland
    • High Court
    • 29 d2 Setembro d2 2020
    ...(Arnold J.). Like orders have also been made for boxing matches: Matchroom Boxing Ltd & Anor v British Telecommunications Plc & Ors [2018] EWHC 2443 (Ch) and Queensberry Promotions Ltd v British Telecommunications Plc & Ors (Order made by Arnold J. on 28 November Legal Principles 11 The la......
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