http://www.olswang.com/ Olswang Solicitors - Legal News in the Technology, Media, Telecommunications and Real Estate Sectors Olswang, 90 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6XX. Tel +44 (0)20 7067 3000 Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) http://www.olswang.com/images/logo_h.gif http://www.olswang.com/ 15 December 2011 - Advocate-General Mengozzi has today delivered his Opinion on questions referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union in relation to the subsistence of database copyright in football fixture lists. This non-binding Opinion addresses the application of the Database Directive (Directive 96/9/EC) and argues that the Claimants' claim that database copyright subsists in the fixture lists for the Premier and other football leagues should be rejected. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=3653 2011-12-15 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 14 October 2011 - Transparency in football club ownership by foreign investorsand and a 'break-even approach' to financing clubs are among the list of changes in the Government's response to the overarching report into Football Governance released earlier this year by the Select Committee of DCMS; a report in which Olswang was cited on several occasions. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=3610 2011-10-14 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 11 October 2011 - Last week's European Court judgment in relation to broadcasting Premier League football in pubs aroused a lot of controversy and comment, much of it misguided. The focus of the judgment is the limitation placed by EU law on attempts to ensure territorial exclusivity, i.e. whether a rights-holder can require its licensee in one EU country not to broadcast content into another EU country, and viewers' rights to receive broadcasts cross-border (Premier League matches broadcast by a Greek broadcaster in the case before the court). http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=3603 2011-10-11 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 04 October 2011 - In February 2011 we reported the Advocate-General's non-binding opinion in these joined cases. Her Opinion argued that the territorial exclusivity provided for in the FA Premier League's (FAPL) contracts with broadcasters contravened the fundamental EU law principle of freedom to provide cross-border services. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=3597 2011-10-04 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 28 July 2011 - In response to the DCMS 'Report on Football Governance', Olswang warns that a lack of stringent controls over off-shore owners could lead to corruption in football clubs and deep public disillusionment. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=3545 2011-07-28 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 08 February 2011 - On 3 February EU court Advocate General Juliane Kokott (AG Kokott) published her Opinion on the interpretation of EU law in two joined cases which essentially concern the right of the FA Premier League (FAPL) to stop the live transmission of league matches in British pubs using foreign decoder cards. AG Kokott's findings are not legally binding, but if adopted by the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) could potentially have significant consequences for the FAPL and other rights-holders which rely on revenues derived from broadcasting rights, especially revenues from "commercial" subscribers such as pubs and clubs. The very strict and categorical approach which the AG has taken in her interpretation of EU law has come as a surprise to most commentators – in essence she considers that EU free movement principles trump a rights-holder's ability to control the commercial exploitation of its broadcast rights. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=3363 2011-02-08 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 17 December 2010 - In a landmark deal for the firm's leisure practice, Olswang has advised new client, the Hull City Association Football Club (Tigers) on its sale to Allanhouse Limited. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=3241 2010-12-17 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 20 October 2010 - On 5 October the Court of Justice of the European Union ("ECJ") examined the right of British pub landlords to show foreign broadcasts of live FA Premier League ("FAPL") games (using decoder cards). The ECJ has been asked to consider a number of questions referred to it by the English High Court in two separate cases concerning the application of EU law (including broadcast and copyright laws, competition law and the fundamental principles of free trade within the EU), and the Advocate General will hand down her opinion on 13 January 2011. Here we describe some of the key arguments presented to the ECJ and consider the potentially serious impact of the final judgment for all rights holders of premium content. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=3342 2011-01-20 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 17 May 2010 - The European Court of Justice (ECJ) recently ruled that football clubs can seek compensation for training young players, as long as that compensation is directly related to the club's cost in training that player. April Carr, an Associate in the EU & Competition team at Olswang LLP, examines the reasoning of the ECJ in Olympique Lyonnais SASP v Olivier Bernard and Newcastle United FC, and explains why the Fédération Française de Football's Charter breached the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=2982 2010-05-17 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 19 March 2010 - Olswang has recently advised long-standing client, SIS Live, on the contract to produce and broadcast the XIX Commonwealth Games in India later this year. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=2920 2010-03-19 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 05 March 2010 - GBI Racing will distribute British and Irish horseracing internationally and joint venture marks the first time that these two long-standing competitors have worked together http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=2908 2010-03-05 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 09 February 2010 - Since the start of the current English football season, the "fit and proper persons" tests under the various different football governing bodies' regulations have generated unprecedented interest. In particular, events this season at the world's oldest professional football club, Notts County FC, have placed the Football League's regulations under the spotlight. This article looks at the way in which the various football governing bodies employ the fit and proper persons test and asks whether changes (and, if so, what changes) might be needed in order properly to regulate the ever-changing and international ownership of English football clubs. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=2892 2010-02-09 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 09 February 2010 - In advance of the publication of responses to DCMS' consultation on free-to-air listed events, and the recommendations of the Independent Advisory Panel (chaired by David Davies) to Ben Bradshaw, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, David Zeffman, a Partner in the Media, Communications and Technology Group and Head of Sport at Olswang, summarises the perspectives of the key players; looks at arguments for and against listed events protection; analyses the criteria used to determine the current list; and examines the likely effect of new technology on this issue. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=2891 2010-02-09 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 12 February 2008 - Olswang has been named TMT Team of the Year 2008 at the annual Legal Business Awards held at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 7 February. http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=671 2008-02-12 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com) 02 May 2007 - Olswang has advised new client Boylesports, the online gambling operator and Ireland's largest independent bookmakers, on its high profile shirt sponsorship with Sunderland Association Football Club ("Sunderland FC"). http://www.olswang.com/newsarticle.asp?sid=111&aid=997 2007-05-02 Articles Olswang (mailto:olsmail@olswang.com)