ESPN warns legal action against erring cable operators
By Pti
oi-Pti
New Delhi, Feb 21: ESPN, armed with a favourable High Court order. The channel threatened legal action against those cable operators, who have been showing the ongoing cricket World Cup without getting a license from them.
ESPN, the official broadcaster of the ICC flagship event, said in a statement that the Delhi High Court has restrained all cable operators from unauthorised showing the tournament through their cable networks.
ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd (ESIPL) had filed a suit against 144 cable operators for unauthorisedly accessing signals and telecasting matches without taking license from the company.
"After this order anyone showing the broadcast ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 through any unauthorized means or any other channel will be held in contempt of court and liable for prosecution," ESPN said in a statement.
"The Delhi HC has also permitted ESIPL to take action against all other cable operators not party to the suit but are found to be unauthorisedly utilising the feed of ESPN, STAR Sports and STAR Cricket without license," the statement added.
"We are delighted with the verdict. The honorable HC has made it clear that piracy will not be tolerated. We will have a team of observers across the country to ensure that piracy does not happen and in case we spot any, we will align with the police to bring the guilty to the book," T Panesar, Vice President Affiliate Sales, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, said.