The commercial exhibition of pay-per-view programming without obtaining commercial licensing rights violates federal laws and is illegal. Commercial exhibition rights for certain pay-per-view programming cannot be obtained directly from a cable or satellite provider, but must be obtained from Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. Presently, Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. serves as the exclusive distributor of all Ultimate Fighting Championship (“UFC”) and select boxing pay-per-view programming.
In order to exhibit a pay-per-view event in a commercial establishment, such as a gym, sports bar, restaurant or casino, the business must purchase a commercial license from Joe Hand Promotions. Without it, the business owner can face a fine under federal piracy laws. A single unauthorized exhibition can expose a business and its owner to fines of up to $110,000 plus financial responsibility for Joe Hand Promotions, Inc.’s attorneys’ fees and costs.
METHODS OF PAY-PER-VIEW PIRACY
While a residential pay-per-view event can cost around $50 to $60, public venues must purchase a commercial licensing fee. The cost depends on the size of the establishment based on their Fire Occupancy Certificate. Unfortunately, some owners disregard the commercial license by pirating the signal in various ways.
A few ways a commercial establishment can commit UFC piracy include:
- Misrepresenting the business as a residence when ordering a PPV event
- Moving a residential receiver to a business location
- Streaming the program via cable or wireless receiver from a home to a business
- Transmitting an illegal internet feed from a laptop to the bar’s TVs
Also, all authorized UFC locations can be found on the Joe Hand Promotions’ Venue Search. Once a location has paid for an event, they’ll be listed on the JHP website.
FIGHTING PAY-PER-VIEW PIRACY
Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. allocates significant resources to curbing commercial pay-per-view piracy. Such an approach is necessary to not only rightfully maintain its own business, but to protect its thousands of authorized commercial customers. It is simply not fair that our legitimate customers be forced to compete with unauthorized pirating establishments who obtain a significant competitive advantage by refusing to purchase a proper commercial license.
For each pay-per-view event it distributes, Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. engages independent investigators throughout the entire United States to monitor compliance. After the event, investigators report to Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. any instances of potential piracy. In cases of confirmed piracy, the investigative files are turned over to one of several law firms that represent Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. for civil prosecution.
SETTLEMENT & LITIGATION OF PIRACY CLAIMS
If you receive a letter from one of Joe Hand Promotions, Inc.’s attorneys it probably means we are pursuing a piracy case against you and your business for the unauthorized commercial exhibition of pay-per-view programming. Generally, we are open to resolving piracy cases prior to filing a lawsuit against you in federal court. If you decline to settle your case and force us to incur attorneys fees and costs of filing a lawsuit, your case will become more difficult and costly to resolve. Therefore, if you have received a letter, we encourage you or your representative to contact the law firm and explore settlement options.
If you ignore communication from our attorneys or otherwise decline to reach a settlement, please be advised that we have attorneys in all fifty states who regularly pursue cases on our behalf. Accordingly, if a confirmed case is not settled, a lawsuit will be filed to protect the rights of Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. and its legitimate customers.
To discuss settlement of any other aspect of your case, you must contact the law firm that sent you a letter. DO NOT CONTACT THE OFFICE OF JOE HAND PROMOTIONS, INC. REGARDING AN OPEN PIRACY CASE.
JHP IS AN AUTHORIZED UFC DISTRIBUTOR
Since 2001, Joe Hand Promotions has been the exclusive commercial TV distributor for the UFC, which recently extended their agreement through 2015. In order to protect their customers’ investment, Joe Hand Promotions must pursue businesses committing pay-per-view piracy.
UFC piracy is a big problem and something Joe Hand Promotions will not ignore.
REPORT PIRACY
Help fight piracy by reporting anyone you suspect of showing pay-per-view events illegally. You can anonymously report a pirate by emailing information to Piracy@JoeHandPromotions.com, calling Joe Hand Promotions at 1-800-557-4263 or at our website’s Report Piracy page.