Judge Makes Offside Ruling in Footballers' Copyright Case Against YouTube

By Joel Zand on July 09, 2009 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

The U.K.'s Premier League Football Assocation and other owners of copyrighted works were dealt an 'offisides' ruling by a federal judge in a class-action case against YouTube and Google.

U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton handed two major 'Goooooaaaallllllls!!!!!' to the defendants. Here's why.

First, the court held that foreign copyrighted works that have not been registered in the U.S. cannot receive Copyright Act protection unless they fall under the law's 'live broadcast exemption."

Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool fans, take note!

Second, the plaintiffs' punitive damage claims.  "As a matter of law," Judge Stanton held, the Copyright Act doesn't allow for the reocvery of punitive damages.

YouTube and Google lawyers probably gave the following shout after the ruling:

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