The Ultimate Fighting Championship settled 500 anti-piracy lawsuits with individuals and businesses who illegally broadcast or viewed UFC events meant for Pay-Per-View consumption, according to a statement released by the UFC today.
“We are committed to standing toe-to-toe with anyone trying to illegally broadcast or stream UFC events,” UFC President Dana White, said. “Today’s announcement further drives home the fact that we are fully prepared to pursue any business or individual that steals our programming.”
This hardly comes as a surprise as UFC President Dana White announced last year that the company would make every effort to combat piracy of its PPV streams as it was costing the UFC millions of dollars in lost revenue.
Contrary to popular belief this campaign has been in full swing and included local and state law enforcement agencies for the past two years. Moreover, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta testified at a hearing of the US House Judiciary Committee last December about the damage resulting from online piracy.
In an effort to prove that the UFC means business with its anti-piracy strategy the company sued a bar owner in Boston for $640,000 on Jan. 5 after he illegally streamed the UFC 108 PPV broadcast on Jan. 2 via his laptop rather than purchasing it through the UFC's authorized closed-circuit provider, Joe Hand Promotions. This lawsuit was certainly supposed to set an example and act as deterrent for other bar owners.
Tracking down international internet users who stream the fights illegally online might be a little bit more difficult, however, since legal standards differ widely in each country. The UFC also created loopholes by offering some fight cards for free in other countries while viewers in the U.S. would still have to pay for the PPV.
Regardless, the settlements are more like a band aid on the big gushing wound PPV piracy has caused the UFC, but will hopefully curb any future piracy activities.
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Comments
Hey, Dana does napster, kazaa, limewire ring a bell ? Theres is milions of us and on you. You know you can't win, it's only delay in the invitable
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