Legal Information
Update: 4th October 2011
At last the great news we have all been waiting for!
The European Court of Justice has today ruled in favour of Karen Murphy against the F.A. Premier League.
The European Court of Justice now says that "...national laws which prohibit the import, sale or use of foreign decoder cards are contrary to the freedom to provide services."
This means that live football matches can be shown within the EU off the EU Satellite Systems in accordance with the EU Judgement.
Update 3rd February 2011:
Great News!!!
The Advocate General, Julianne Kokott today delivered her opinion to the European Court of Justice.
She has stated that Satellite Decoder Cards could not be limited to one territory within the EU as that would “partition the internal markets” and oppose the principles of the freedom of the European market.
It is now over to the Judge for his decision within the next few months. It is important to remember that most judgements in the European Court of Justice go along with the Advocate generals opinion. In addition her opinion was not woolly, it was the main thrust of her argument that the use of foreign decoder cards is not against European law.
Update 5th October 2010:
Karen Murphy’s appeal at the ECJ will be heard today (5 October 2010) but it is likely to take until the following spring for the judge to make his decision on how EU law should be implemented.
Murphy, formerly of the Red, White & Blue in Portsmouth, is appealing against her conviction for screening Premiership football via Greek channel Nova Supersport. She first took up the case in June 2006.
Since there have already been fairly lengthy written arguments presented to the European Court from both sides, the actual hearing on 5 October should last no longer than a few hours, according to general procedures.
From there, it will take a couple of months for an advocate general to return an independent opinion to the court, and the judge will consider this recommendation before returning his own judgment three to six months later.
The judgment will take the form of answers to the questions posed by the High Court in England, about how EU law should be interpreted in this case, it will then come back to the High Court in England & it is then up to the High Court to apply the law, as defined by the EU, to Murphy’s case, and reach its own conclusion, this is likely to be in the summer of 2011.
Update August 2008:
The European Court of Justice is to rule on whether or not geographical restrictions apply to the use of Satellite Systems within the European Union.
The Premier League says it would be "pointless" bringing new prosecutions for the screening of European Union Foreign Satellite Systems at pubs until after the landmark legal case in Europe.
Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson was quizzed about Foreign Satellite Football on Radio 4's "You and Yours" show, alongside Karen Murphys solicitor, Paul Dixon.
Johnson said "the difficulty is that until it's settled at a European level, it would be pointless bringing UK prosecutions (of licensees) as the courts would merely refer them to the pending
The above information is provide as our own opinion only, we are not qualified to offer legal advice and any advice you do receive from us can not be treated as legal advice.