UK court re-ignites Premier League copyright battle with landlord

A UK appeals court has granted a pub landlord the opportunity to appeal against a ruling in which he was found liable for infringing copyright owned by the English Premier League (EPL).

In a hearing at the UK Court of Appeal, Lord Justice Floyd said it was “realistically arguable” that the English High Court decision against Anthony Luxton was wrong, and granted him permission to appeal against it.

Last January, the High Court ruled that Luxton, of the Rhyddings pub in Swansea, south Wales, had infringed the EPL’s copyright when he broadcast live football matches at the pub between September and December 2012.

The EPL, England’s top football division, had argued that Luxton had no defence for his use of a Danish decoder card to broadcast live EPL matches.

Mrs Justice Rose, the judge presiding over the case, agreed, granting an injunction against further unauthorised broadcasts and fining Luxton £65,000 ($100,000).

But the latest development means that Luxton can now appeal against the High Court’s ruling at the Court of Appeal.

The EPL did not respond to a request for comment. Luxton could not be reached for comment.