Astro Wins Big in Court Over Illegal Football Streaming (Businesses, Take Note!)

PICTURE SOURCE FROM GOOGLE


Source: FreeMalaysiaToday


Astro has been on a winning streak lately and not just with their content.

In a string of legal victories, Astro has successfully taken legal action against several pubs and eateries for illegally streaming English Premier League (EPL) matches. They are not just a slap-on-the-wrist outcome either as the courts have awarded Astro RM75,000 and RM175,000 in statutory damages, setting a serious precedent for copyright enforcement in Malaysia.

There was a pub involved for illegally streaming Astro’s premium content without authorization. This resulted in payment of RM75,000 in damages, marking the first-ever statutory damages awarded in a copyright infringement case. In another case, two eateries were fined RM175,000 combined for similar violations. All these decisions reflect a tougher stance against copyright infringement in Malaysia.

These decisions make it abundantly evident that illegally streaming paid content is not only dangerous but also costly, particularly in commercial settings.


My Comments:

It's about time this issue got serious attention. Businesses often assume that playing a football match in their premises is harmless, but it’s actually a legal minefield. These court wins show that media companies like Astro are done turning a blind eye and honestly, who can blame them? Content isn't cheap to produce or license.

If you run a business, play it safe. Pay for the right license. It’s way cheaper than ending up in court.

-Iman Kamilah-

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Syamsul Yusof win appeal in "Aku Bohsia" copyright suit

Image
Image sources: New Straits Times Sources: Malayan Law Journal , MalayMail (1) , MalayMail (2) and Linkedin  On November 24, 2014, Elias Idris, a writer of the novel Aku Bohsia, claimed that the movie Bohsia: Jangan Pilih Jalan Hitam directed by Syamsul Yusof had many similarities with his story and had copied his work. Elias filed a copyright lawsuit against Yusof Md Aslam (the producer), Syamsul Yusof (actor-director), and Skop Production (film production). He claimed the movie, released in 2009, shared similar plot, character, and message with his novel published in 1995.  However, the defendants, Yusof, Syamsul, and Skop Production are argued they had never seen or read the novel. They said any similarities were just coincidence, as the issue of "bohsia" is a common social problem. They also filed a countersuit against Elias over defamatory articles posted on his blog on November 7 and 16, 2014. The High Court ruled in favour of the defendants and ordered Elias to pay RM1...
Read more

Taylor Swift’s Re-Recordings: A Lesson in Copyright and Control

Image
PICTURES BY JOHN SHEARER / GETTY IMAGES Source: Harvard Law Today Most of us have heard the name Taylor Swift, whether you’re a fan or not it is no debate that she is one of the biggest pop stars known globally. However, did you know that she is involved in a very interesting copyright-related issue specifically in the topic of intellectual property?  On April 9 2021, Taylor Swift released her first re-recording of one of her old albums titled Fearless (Taylor’s Version). On the surface, people might wonder what is the reason for the release if the former version was already a successful money maker, well first let’s look at how it all started. Taylor Swift was originally signed to a record label named Big Machine since debut, she then recorded 6 albums total all of them being multi million sellers. In 2018 she left the company but afterwards Big Machine was bought by Scooter Braun. He then sold the company including Taylor’s albums that was owned by them to another company named ...
Read more

The Great Batik Fraud: Beware of False Heritage When It Enters the Market!

Image
Image by Dewan Budaya Source: New Straits Times The threat to Malaysia's rich batik legacy comes from imitated more than a lack of appreciation. According to a recent report, fake batik is increasing in local marketplaces, particularly from overseas vendors who pass off mass-produced patterns as "authentic Malaysian batik." This is a smack in the face to local craftspeople and a violation of intellectual property, in addition to being a cultural insult. The New Straits Times claims that these knockoff goods, which are frequently imported from China and Indonesia, are sold as authentic Malaysian batik, misleading customers and diminishing the value of genuine craftsmanship. In contrast to batik that is hand-drawn or block-printed, which requires traditional artistry and skills, many of these products are digitally printed fabrics that have nothing to do with Malaysia's cultural heritage. Despite undercutting legitimate makers, they are used at government and corporate...
Read more