Satellite television provider Satcon Liberia has been officially shut down by court officers following a ruling from the Supreme Court of Liberia over repeated violations of intellectual property rights.
The company’s head office in Congo Town was sealed off on Thursday, after the Commercial Court in Montserrado County enforced the Supreme Court’s February 18 decision. According to the ruling, Satcon, along with K3 Telecom, was found guilty of illegally airing premium sports content without proper authorization.
The complaint was filed by Semion Freeman, General Manager of Consolidated Group, the exclusive licensee for MultiChoice Africa and SuperSport content in Liberia. Freeman claimed the unauthorized broadcasts, particularly of English Premier League and La Liga matches, resulted in over $5 million in losses to his company.
In its judgment, the Supreme Court concluded that Satcon and K3 Telecom had “knowingly and willfully” infringed upon exclusive broadcasting rights held by Consolidated Group.
“This is a clear violation of intellectual property laws and a breach of the legal framework governing content licensing in Liberia,” the ruling stated.
Satcon has now been barred from airing any content owned or licensed by MultiChoice and SuperSport. The court further warned that any attempt to ignore the ruling could result in contempt of court charges.
As of this publication, Satcon Liberia has not issued a public statement.
The landmark ruling is being hailed by media stakeholders as a strong signal that content piracy will no longer be tolerated in Liberia’s broadcasting industry.
