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Premier League wants updated copyright laws
England - 27 September, 2007
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Richard Scudamore, Premier League chief executive feels that steps need to be taken concerning the copyright laws because he thinks the league's media rights are in jeopardy.
The league has several new rights deals totaling GBP 2.7 billion for the current season plus the next two. One contract is for GBP 1.7 billion for domestic rights, split between Sky and Setanta. GBP 625 million will be received for international broadcasts and another GBP 400 million for internet and mobile phone rights.
Scudamore also is worried that news agencies may successfully dispute that clips of Premier League matches should be free, which would hurt the league's commercial basis.
"People's immediate reaction is things are going well with TV rights, therefore, everything is OK," Scudamore said in an interview with The Financial Times.
"But you're there selling your rights through the front door and someone's coming in through the back door, stealing all your pictures, images, putting it all around the world in a form that's easily accessible.
"What you've got is an odd virtuous circle. The more value we generate and the more valuable our rights become, the more people want to see us and the more people in a sense want us not to do that."
At the Premier League's instigation, other sports groups and music publishers filed a class action lawsuit against YouTube and Google, its owners, for copyright violations.
Scudamore said intellectual property law is largely untested and that the media rights system is complicated. He said proving suspected plagiarists have been "knowingly dishonest" is difficult.
"The law is young. This is where governments have a challenge," Scudamore said. "If intellectual property is the new economy, we do have to look at the whole framework."
The league will submit its case to ministers at the Labour's conference in Bournemouth telling them that the Copyright Act is dated and does not allow for newer forms of piracy such as internet streaming.
It would also like the government to encourage talks between content providers and the new-media industry.
Trading standards officials are permitted to investigate and prosecute copyright theft but the league doesn't think anyone is doing so
"All the rights are out there somewhere, live rights, simulcast, mobile, highlights, clip rights, deferred rights," Scudamore said.
"There is nowhere in the world where someone cannot come and buy those rights, which is why we are in a strong position to defend against piracy."
The league has several new rights deals totaling GBP 2.7 billion for the current season plus the next two. One contract is for GBP 1.7 billion for domestic rights, split between Sky and Setanta. GBP 625 million will be received for international broadcasts and another GBP 400 million for internet and mobile phone rights.
Scudamore also is worried that news agencies may successfully dispute that clips of Premier League matches should be free, which would hurt the league's commercial basis.
"People's immediate reaction is things are going well with TV rights, therefore, everything is OK," Scudamore said in an interview with The Financial Times.
"But you're there selling your rights through the front door and someone's coming in through the back door, stealing all your pictures, images, putting it all around the world in a form that's easily accessible.
"What you've got is an odd virtuous circle. The more value we generate and the more valuable our rights become, the more people want to see us and the more people in a sense want us not to do that."
At the Premier League's instigation, other sports groups and music publishers filed a class action lawsuit against YouTube and Google, its owners, for copyright violations.
Scudamore said intellectual property law is largely untested and that the media rights system is complicated. He said proving suspected plagiarists have been "knowingly dishonest" is difficult.
"The law is young. This is where governments have a challenge," Scudamore said. "If intellectual property is the new economy, we do have to look at the whole framework."
The league will submit its case to ministers at the Labour's conference in Bournemouth telling them that the Copyright Act is dated and does not allow for newer forms of piracy such as internet streaming.
It would also like the government to encourage talks between content providers and the new-media industry.
Trading standards officials are permitted to investigate and prosecute copyright theft but the league doesn't think anyone is doing so
"All the rights are out there somewhere, live rights, simulcast, mobile, highlights, clip rights, deferred rights," Scudamore said.
"There is nowhere in the world where someone cannot come and buy those rights, which is why we are in a strong position to defend against piracy."
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