Hong Kong– Three Hong Kong bars have settled High Court lawsuits for illegally broadcasting the World Cup football tournament in June last year. The bars, Carnegies, the Bridge and the Coyote Bar & Grill, located in Wanchai, reached out of court settlements with the world football governing body FIFA and local pay-TV operator Hong Kong Cable Television Limited (Cable TV). The defendants paid "substantial compensation" to the plaintiffs for infringing copyright and covered their legal costs and placement of apology letters. Two other bars, The White Stag and Devil's Advocate are still facing copyright claims against them.

The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) welcomed the decision, and its CEO Simon Twiston Davies noted that Hong Kong Courts have continually emphasized the importance of intellectual property laws for broadcasters and the community at large. He hopes the cases will deliver a clear message to the food and beverage industry that copyright must be "determinedly respected at all times."

Meanwhile, CASBAA iterated the industry's commitment to track down and prosecute suppliers of illegal pay-TV equipment in Hong Kong. Concerned by the unauthorized display of pay-TV services in public venues for commercial gain, CASBAA warned that traders of illegal decoders "will not be allowed to operate without sanction." In earlier actions, CASBAA and its members won high profile cases against such traders in the High Court.

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