Speed skater Claudia Pechstein has been granted clearance to compete until the Swiss Federal Court hears her appeal against the Court of Arbitration of Sport's (CAS) 25 November confirmation of a two-year ban, imposed by the International Skating Union (ISU) using blood profiling. The case could call into question the use of blood profiling under the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Athlete Biological Passport to ban athletes. It is the first time that an athlete has been banned for blood doping using blood profiling only.

To read the full article in the December edition of World Sports Law Report, click here.

 

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has refused to approve London 2012's plans to move badminton across London from Greenwich to Wembley Arena, and has asked the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) for more information. Paragraph 34 of the Host City Contract for the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012 requires 'the prior written approval of the IOC [International Olympic Committee], in consultation with the relevant IF [International Federation]' for venue changes.

To read the full article in the December edition of World Sports Law Report, click here.

Anti-doping experts from bodies such as the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), SportAccord, London 2012 and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) will address Tackling Doping in Sport 2010, a World Sports Law Report and Hammonds LLP event taking place on 24 February at the London offices of Hammonds.

To read the full article in the December edition of World Sports Law Report, click here.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has suspended a FIFA ban on Chelsea conducting player transfers until it hears the case next year, after FIFA found the club guilty of inducing Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens. Richard Williams, a member of the sports law group at Denton Wilde Sapte LLP, examines which FIFA Regulations Chelsea has breached, possible avenues of appeal open to Chelsea under EC and domestic law, and the impact that recent and pending cases could have on Chelsea's chosen method of appeal.

To read the full article in the December edition of World Sports Law Report, click here.

The Hero Global Football Fund has recently announced proposals to loan money to football clubs. Simon Thorp, a Partner with Onside Law, comments on how the Football Association's, Premier League's and Football League's guidelines on third-party investors apply to the Hero Global Football Fund.

To read the full article in the December edition of World Sports Law Report, click here.

A recent ruling by Ofcom that BSkyB has breached the Broadcasting Code by allowing Specsavers to sponsor the 'Hawkeye' graphical system has highlighted that there can be a fine line between advertising that is part of a sporting broadcast (prohibited) and programme-related advertising (permitted). Tim Taylor and James Hennigan, of Hammonds' sports and media law group, examine the current rules under the Code, Ofcom's reasons for rejecting Specsavers' sponsorship and proposed changes to the Code following the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.

To read the full article in the December edition of World Sports Law Report, click here.

Rule 7.1 of the Broadcasting Code, which obliges broadcasters to treat individuals fairly, recently came under scrutiny in a sporting context during a case involving a handler who had been shown apparently mistreating a horse. Angus Bujalski and Eleanor Steyn, Associates with Michael Simkins LLP, examine how although At The Races' (ATR) coverage failed to take into account earlier incidents - such as the hospitalisation of a groom - it was judged to be fair by Ofcom, as ATR could not have known about the earlier incidents.

To read the full article in the December edition of World Sports Law Report, click here.

FIFA recently introduced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans to help prevent the fielding of over-age players competing in the 2009 U17 World Cup. Adam Wilkes, a Solicitor with Field Seymour Parkes, examines why FIFA took the decision to use MRI, its reliability in determining age to the accuracy required for tournament eligibility, and the potential for its adoption by other sports.

To read the full article in the December edition of World Sports Law Report, click here.

Kevin Keegan's award of £2 million in damages for constructive dismissal as Manager of Newcastle United (as well as Alan Curbishley's victory against his previous club, West Ham) highlights a number of issues that sports lawyers should routinely consider. Kevin Groome and Mike Townley, of Bates Wells & Braithwaite LLP's Sports Unit, analyse the findings of the arbitration panels.

To read the full article in the December edition of World Sports Law Report, click here.

There has been much misinformation in the UK press recently about FIFA’s plans to abandon the regulation of player agents (scroll down within link). FIFA is not about to ‘abandon its global transfer market supervisory role’, as reported, but has realised that under the current system, only 25% to 30% of all international transfers can be regulated, as that is the percentage of transfers that are conducted via licensed agents.

 

A new approach is needed, and FIFA has sensibly realised that football can only control that which it regulates. FIFA regulates clubs and players, and so instead of trying to convince all agents that they need a licence, has decided that clubs and players’ use of third parties intermediaries during a player transfer will be regulated instead. That way, football can regulate the use of an unlicensed agent, which it currently cannot do.

 

As World Sports Law Report reported back in September, FIFA’s Legal Director, Marco Villiger, told a 15 July press conference: “Under the current system, unlicensed agents cannot be detected. Clubs will not tell FIFA that they used an unlicensed agent - if a club launched a complaint with FIFA, then there is a risk that the investigation will involve them and they would have to prove that they have not contacted an unlicensed agent. The system as it is now doesn't work."  

 

As WSLR reported, FIFA’s plans have to pass several committees and will not be presented to the Executive Committee until March 2010. FIFA told David Winnie of Hammonds that contrary to reports, a circular has not been sent to national associations about FIFA’s plans (thanks for your assistance, David).

 

You cannot blame football agents for being against the plans, as reported. If they are a licensed agent, then they have their ‘respectability’ edge over unlicensed agents to lose. If they are an unlicensed agent, then they face having to operate within FIFA guidelines, losing their ‘competitive’ edge over licensed agents. Perhaps the fact that all agents feel that FIFA has got it wrong, in this case means that FIFA has got it right…

 

Andy Brown

By comprehensively stating that France’s draw with the Republic of Ireland cannot be replayed under its laws, FIFA has sidestepped the more difficult question – should its laws allow for a game to be replayed? FIFA argues against this – a ‘FIFA source’ told The Guardian: “If it was replayed then every match in the future would also be subject to these calls for a replay any time a referee misses an incident”. That is a fair point, but again the question of whether France should be able to offer Ireland a replay has been avoided.

France has been able to hide behind the fact that although Thierry Henry was clearly shown by television replays to have handled the ball during the run of play leading to France’s equalising goal, it could not offer a replay, even if it wanted to. Law 5 of FIFA’s Laws of the Game states: "The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final. The referee may only change a decision on realising that it is incorrect or, at his discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth official, provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match."

It would be easy to add a clause at the end of Law 5 allowing France to offer the replay. It could perhaps read something like this: “Following the conclusion of the game, the victorious team – or the team progressing to the next round of a tournament – may offer to replay the game if it feels that the result is unfair and the referee agrees”.

Hopefully, the extraordinary meeting of FIFA's Executive Committee - announced this week - will discuss making such a change.

 

Andy Brown

 

Newcastle United have recently angered fans by deciding to replace the historic name of St James’ Park with something that resembles an e-mail address: sportsdirect.com @ St James' Park. Apparently, Chelsea are considering making up for the fact that they have a football stadium rather than a massive soulless cavern by doing something similar.

I have some sympathy with the naysayers. While growing up in the 1980s religiously watching Grandstand and listening to The Sports Report on BBC Radio 5 on Saturdays, I was fascinated by the evocative names of football grounds: Anfield, Highbury, Belle Vue, The Goldstone Ground, Bootham Crescent…to name but a few. I always thought that although corporate conglomerates such as Crown Paints had managed to plaster their horrid logos all over the Division One leader’s shirts, at least we had retained some honour by not allowing them to touch our stadiums, our cathederals…

Before I come over all teary-eyed, my logical head tells me that this should have happened ages ago. It did in America, where only old farts can actually remember the real names of the stadiums. Perhaps good ideas come slowly to Mike Ashley, as he owns both Newcastle United and Sports Direct and could have done this some time ago. English football is perhaps our country’s most successful export since The Beatles and now includes betting operators, savings account operators and even organisers of funerals as partners…so why does such a proposal generate such outrage?

It is a question of history. Arsenal’s move from Highbury to The Emirates Stadium was not greeted with the same derision because Arsenal has no history at its new home. The difference with Newcastle United’s move and Chelsea’s plan is that they are ignoring history. Newcastle have played at St James’ Park since 1892 and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since 1905. We would not consider allowing a new owner to rename Tower Bridge – built between 1892 and 1894 – so why do we allow a temporary owner to take that liberty with one of the world’s most historic football stadiums?

Before The Shed becomes part of Samsung Bridge, the Football Association or the government should consider rules or legislation preventing historic stadiums from being renamed. Otherwise these tough economic climes might mean that we are left with no historic stadium names at all.

 

Andy Brown

The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) faces a battle to gain approval for its cost-cutting plans to move London 2012 badminton and rhythmic gymnastics competitions from a temporary facility on Greenwich Peninsula to Wembley Arena, as both sports are opposed to the switch. Wembley Arena is on the other side of London from the Athletes Village, which is on the Olympic Park in Newham.

The full article appears in the November edition of World Sports Law Report here.

 

The European Handball Federation (EHF) is contesting fines levied by two German states for displaying a banner advertising its online gambling partner, Bet-at-home, on its Champions League website.

The full article appears in the November edition of World Sports Law Report here.

FIFA will ban players that fail its Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) wrist scans at the Under-17 World Cup, which takes place from 24 October to 15 November in Nigeria. The scans are designed to reveal if a player is over 17.

The full article appears in the November edition of World Sports Law Report here.

 

FIFA's ban on Chelsea conducting player transfers has highlighted a change in FIFA Regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players designed to protect minors. Chris Anderson, a Solicitor with Brabners Chaffe Street LLP, examines the relevant changes in the Regulations, potential issues with them and asks if the international transfer of minors should always be considered as detrimental to the player involved.

The full article appears in the November edition of World Sports Law Report here.

 

Athletes who wish to participate in the Olympic Games must agree to submit any dispute to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Ian Blackshaw, a sports lawyer and CAS arbitrator, finds that as consent is not freely given as the agreement to CAS arbitration is a precondition to participation, it is unenforceable.

The full article appears in the November edition of World Sports Law Report here.

 

Under World Anti-Doping Agency rules, failure to submit to sample collection for doping control purposes constitutes an anti-doping rule violation. Mike Morgan, a Solicitor with Hammonds, examines recent case law to explain that seemingly innocuous actions by athletes - such as taking a shower or attending a private team talk once in the presence of Doping Control Officers - can result in such an anti-doping rule violation.

The full article appears in the November edition of World Sports Law Report here.

 

Following a Department for Culture, Media and Sport consultation on sport's relationship with money, the Football Association Premier League (FAPL) passed new regulations governing club ownership and 'home grown' players. Daniel Geey and Joe Ward, both in the Sports Group at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP, examine how the fit and proper persons test has been expanded and the new requirements on Directors and Owners, the sanctions available to FAPL, and the new 'home grown' players rule.

The full article appears in the November edition of World Sports Law Report here.

 

Corporations pay millions to exclusively sponsor events such as the FIFA 2010 World Cup South Africa, however ambush marketing by non-sponsors keen to associate themselves with popular events threatens that revenue. In the final instalment of three articles, Michael Murphy, a Partner with Bowman Gilfillan, examines recent South African case law regarding ambush marketing by corporations keen to associate themselves with FIFA events.

The full article appears in the November edition of World Sports Law Report here.

FIFA's Early Warning System GmbH (EWS) will monitor betting on Olympic events for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), through International Sports Monitoring (ISM), a company registered with the Canton of Zurich on 23 September (CH-020.4.040.963-2). EWS is a FIFA affiliate company with its own staff and offices, and has agreements with over 400 bookmakers. It handled the monitoring of betting on the Beijing Olympic Games for the IOC.

The full version of this article appears in the October edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, which is providing advice to Caster Semenya on her human rights and rights as an athlete, has sent a request for information to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), after it revealed it had undertaken gender tests on the South African runner.

The full version of this article appears in the October edition of World Sports Law Report.

The Cyclistes Professionnels Associés (CPA) is to poll its members on whether they support the Union Cycliste Internationale's (UCI) 23 September decision to phase out two-way radios in professional cycling.

The full version of this article appears in the October edition of World Sports Law Report.

Corporations pay millions to exclusively sponsor events such as the FIFA 2010 World Cup South Africa, however ambush marketing by non-sponsors keen to associate themselves with popular events threatens that revenue. In the second of a series of three articles, Michael Murphy, a Partner with Bowman Gilfillan, examines the sanctions that are available to police against the efforts of ambush marketers, the role of the Advertising Standards Authority and by-laws promulgated by state municipalities aimed at the efficient running of FIFA events and the effect that these have on advertising.

The full version of this article appears in the October edition of World Sports Law Report.

  France's proposed creation of a 'right to offer bets', which sporting organisations would be able to sell to betting operators, has gained support from many sporting organisations as a potential new revenue stream. Jason Foley-Train, the Remote Gambling Association's Betting Adviser, explains potential drawbacks with France's proposal and why it is difficult for licensed gambling operators to support a proposal requiring them to pay to combat a threat posed largely by unlicensed operators.

The full version of this article appears in the October edition of World Sports Law Report.

The Football Association Premier League's claim against YouTube highlighted that sports broadcasters must either register with the US Copyright Office, or in the case of live broadcasts, provide detailed information to the Office 48 hours in advance of the event to succeed in claiming statutory damages for infringement. Rohan Massey, an IPMT Partner at McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP, examines the FAPL's case, YouTube's defence, the court's reasoning in coming to its decision and the implications for sports broadcasters.

The full version of this article appears in the October edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) decides that although French rules entitling clubs to require trainees to sign a professional contract at the end of their training contract breach Article 39 EC (freedom of movement), such rules can be justified as pursuing a legitimate aim compatible with the Treaty and as such, compensation relating to the cost of training that player is payable by a club purchasing the player at the end of his training contract. Bruno Quentin and Marc Peltier, of Gide Loyrette Nouel, examine the ECJ's reasoning in deciding that Newcastle United must pay Olympique Lyonnais compensation after purchasing Olivier Bernard from Lyonnais at the end of his training contract.

The full version of this article appears in the October edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

American Needle is a sportswear manufacturer that challenged the National Football League's (NFL) exclusive merchandising deal with Reebok as a violation of US antitrust law under the Sherman Act. The Seventh Circuit recently held that the NFL is immune from scrutiny under Section 1 of the Sherman Act when collectively licensing their intellectual property rights. Gabe Feldman, an Associate Professor and Director of the Tulane Sports Law Program at Tulane Law School, examines the implications should the NFL and other sports organisations be successful in getting the Supreme Court to grant Section 1 protection to sporting leagues.

The full version of this article appears in the October edition of World Sports Law Report.

The Caster Semenya case highlighted that the rules of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) do not provide adequate guidance on how distinctions should be made between men and women. Dr. Gregory Ioannidis and colleagues at Buckingham University Law School highlight how the current rules are based on chromosomal analysis rather than anatomical or physiological status, do not distinguish adequately between transsexuals and intersexuals and argue that Semenya will be able to seek redress against the IAAF, as it failed in its duty of privacy and confidentiality.

The full version of this article appears in the October edition of World Sports Law Report.

1. France has amended its new gambling laws to ban all betting exchanges, reports The Guardian @ http://bit.ly/KqUxx
      
   
2. NCAA will pay $750k to Andrew Oliver, who was ruled ineligible as he was represented by lawyer in talks with pro teams. http://bit.ly/cEHEo
      
   
3. FIFA has cleared Manchester United to sign French 16-yr-old Paul Pogba, reports the BBC @ http://bit.ly/9JUcm
      
   
4. The UCI has denied that the Astana team was given preferential treatment at this year's Tour de France. Press release @ http://bit.ly/d9RAt
      
   
5. The Rugby Football League is to speak to Sean Long about allegations made about betting in the game, reports the BBC @ http://bit.ly/4ObrI
      
   
6. A Rugby Football Union task force has put forward recommendations to combat cheating in rugby union. Press release @ http://bit.ly/2wmhZ8
      
   
7. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has adopted a revised code of sport-related arbitration. Press release @ http://bit.ly/5Xz6b

 To follow World Sports Law Report on Twitter, click here.

 A spokesperson for the UK’s Gambling Commission confirmed that 777ball’s shirt sponsorship deal with Cardiff City prompted it to issue a 25 September Advice Note to football clubs that under Section 331 the Gambling Act 2005, it is an offence to advertise foreign gambling. Under the Act, any gambling operator who wishes to advertise in Great Britain must be regulated by an EEA state, or feature on the government’s ‘white list’ of jurisdictions judged to have comparable regulations (Antigua & Barbuda, Alderney, Isle of Man and Tasmania).

The Gambling Commission prevented Cardiff City from appointing 777ball, as it is owned by Pacific Sea Invests, regulated by Costa Rica. Following the issuance of the note, Pacific Sea Invests decided to remove its 12bet brand from Sevilla’s shirts during its 29 September game against Rangers at Ibrox – the club chose to feature UEFA’s ‘Respect’ campaign to eliminate racism on their shirts instead.

 

‘Clubs or operators in breach of section 331 put themselves at the risk of prosecution’, read the Advice Note. ‘This should also be borne in mind when hosting international competitions. Care should be exercised to ensure that visiting teams’ sponsors are permitted to advertise within Great Britain.’ Seven of the 20 Premier League clubs are currently sponsored by gambling operators.

 Andy Brown

Peter Limacher, UEFA’s Head of Disciplinary Services, revealed that UEFA is currently investigating 40 potential cases of match fixing at World Sports Law Report’s ‘Sport, Betting & Sponsorship’ Briefing on Friday. “We have identified 40 matches in the last four seasons that are regarded as suspicious”, Limacher told delegates. “We have 16 betting analysts working full time on this problem in London”.

 

Limacher outlined UEFA’s Fraud Detection System in a detailed presentation that received international coverage from media organisations such as the Press Association, the Associated Press, Agence France Press and a number of international newspapers.

 

Simon Barker, a Senior Executive of the Professional Footballers Association and a Director of the Professional Players Federation – which represents player associations in the UK – revealed that in his experience, footballers do not often understand the rules regarding acceptable and unacceptable betting. He said that in his opinion, this had been the case regarding the five Accrington Stanley footballers recently charged by the Football Association. Delegates highlighted education of athletes regarding sports betting rules to be of paramount importance.

As could have been predicted, betting operators did not support the idea of creating a new right for sporting organisations to be able to sell to betting operators keen to offer bets. Delegates also expected an appeal from Bwin against the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) judgment in Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional, Bwin International Ltd, formerly Baw International Ltd, v Departamento de Jogos da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa. This appeal is regarded as important, as the ECJ’s ruling appears to suggest that gambling operators sponsoring sporting tournaments might wish to influence their outcome. ‘An operator which sponsors some of the sporting competitions on which it accepts bets and some of the teams taking part in those competitions may be in a position to influence their outcome directly or indirectly, and thus increase its profits’, reads the ruling.

Delegates were split on whether an organisation similar to the World Anti-Doping Agency should be set up to combat corruption in sport related to betting.

Andy Brown

 

1. Athletics South Africa has launched an inquiry into the Caster Semenya affair. Press release @ http://bit.ly/qw7vu
      
   
2. Nigeria rejects FIFA-approved MRI bone scans to verify player ages for U17 World Cup. BBC report @ http://bit.ly/133cPr
      
   
3. Renault's F1 team has decided not to contest charges of engineering a crash at the Singapore GP. Press release @ http://bit.ly/rE2uL
      
   
4. The Premier League will introduce a squad cap of 25 and a home grown players quota from next season. Press release @ http://bit.ly/196Htq
      
   
5. The Premier League has announced new financial rules for its clubs. Press release @ http://bit.ly/Dt8Rw
      
   
6. UEFA has appointed Jean-Luc Dehaene as Chairman of its new Club Financial Control Panel. Press release @ http://bit.ly/uGyj2
      
   
7. The IAAF will not make a final decision on Caster Semenya until the IAAF Council on 20/21 November. Press release @ http://bit.ly/17Wjh8
      
   
8. The NFL violated Minnesota drug laws by suspending players for a banned substance found in a weight-loss supplement. http://bit.ly/583UQ
      
   
9. The Professional Players Federation is running its 1st ever National Conference, read more at www.ppfevents.org.uk or Twitter: ppfconference

 To follow World Sports Law Report on Twitter, click here.

 

In what is set to be an interesting session, Simon Barker, a Director of the Professional Players Federation, will speak alongside UEFA’s Head of Disciplinary Services, Peter Limacher, about how integrity panels can help police against suspicious betting. As the Professional Players Federation represents many of the largest player associations in the UK, Barker will provide the view of professional athletes on the use of integrity panels, in contrast to the sporting federation’s view, provided by Limacher.

 

Henry Burgess, Head of International Sport at the Department for Culture, Media & Sport will join a panel session considering whether an organisation similar to the World Anti-Doping Agency – which policies against illegal doping – should be set up to combat corruption due to betting.

 

To view the full programme for the day, click here, or contact Erika Joyce for more information. Hope to see you there!

 

Andy Brown

 

1. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that runner Caster Semenya is a hermaphrodite. http://bit.ly/1i8AC6. The IAAF will release test results.
      
   
2. Arsène Wenger: sensible comments on why FIFA/UEFA's plan to ban under-18 transfers will not work. Daily Telegraph. http://bit.ly/s8CWa
      
   
3. Professional Players Federation meets WADA and calls for new whereabouts rules + treatment not bans for social drugs. http://bit.ly/6NcZE4
      
   
4. FIFA President Joseph Blatter is keen to deduct points from teams guilty of breaking football rules, reports the BBC. http://bit.ly/vvdlB
      
   
5. DCMS to join panel discussion at Sport, Betting & Sponsorship 2009! http://tiny.cc/5Ll08
      
   
6. 'Right to bet' - UK, French & Australian positions to be discussed by experts at Sport, Betting & Sponsorship 2009 http://tiny.cc/5Ll08
      
   
7. Caster Semenya will not be stripped of World Championships 800m gold whatever her gender test outcome, BBC reports. http://bit.ly/2jRpA
      
   
8. FIFA to investigate Man City after Rennes complaint over the signing of 17-yr-old Jérémy Hélan, The Guardian reports. http://bit.ly/OQQCh
      
   
9. The Premier League has warned clubs over possible betting scams at academy level matches, BBC reports. http://bit.ly/2fqwGa
      
   
10. The British Medical Association calls for a ban on alcohol advertising, including at sport events. Press release at http://bit.ly/2iw3PR
       
    
11. 4 Jamaicans have admitted taking methylxanthine, similar to banned tuaminoheptane. Sanctions are being decided. http://bit.ly/S3D9o
       
    
12. Our Twitter followers get £100 Discount on Sport, Betting & Sponsorship 2009! Please contact erika.joyce@e-comlaw.com http://tiny.cc/pp4bC

Follow World Sports Law Report on Twitter here. 

FIFA is considering abandoning its requirement that football clubs should only conduct player transfers using licensed player agents as part of a new approach based on regulating clubs and players' use of intermediaries. Asked whether FIFA was abandoning its requirement for player agents to be licensed by the national association in which they reside, FIFA's Legal Director, Macro Villiger, said: "Yes, this is possible. A working group of the FIFA Committee for Club Football was created which is currently dealing with such a reform. The working group is working on the new Regulations which will have to pass several committees. Hence, it is not possible for me to predict the outcome."

The full version of this article appears in the September edition of World Sports Law Report.

Premier Rugby, the body which administers rugby union's Guinness Premiership competition, is to vote on 3 September on a new rule that would allow opposition doctors to inspect players leaving the field with blood injuries. The new rule would be introduced before the start of the 2009/10 season a day later.

The full version of this article appears in the September edition of World Sports Law Report.

UEFA, the British Horseracing Association (BHA), Betfair and the Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR) will address World Sports Law Report's Sports, Betting & Sponsorship briefing, to be held at the offices of Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP on 25 September.

The full version of this article appears in the September edition of World Sports Law Report.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport recently dismissed an appeal from Adrian Mutu against a FIFA decision ordering him to pay compensation to Chelsea FC, which had terminated his contract early after Mutu had taken cocaine, breaching the contract terms. Jesse De Preter, an Attorney-at-law with Clifford Chance LLP, examines Mutu's arguments against this ruling, as well as his possible avenues for future appeal.

The full version of this article appears in the September edition of World Sports Law Report.

The UK government is considering changing legislation that preserves certain sporting events for free-to-air television, initiating a review of the current category A and B events in December 2008. Alex Haffner and Stephen Ridgway, Solicitors in the sports group at Denton Wilde Sapte LLP, examine how certain events can be protected for free-to-air TV under European law, the progress of the review and arguments for and against the listing of sporting events, as well as challenges to the UK's listing of certain events from FIFA and UEFA.

The full version of this article appears in the September edition of World Sports Law Report.

There have recently been a number of incidents where the safety of athletes have been compromised by the actions of spectators: two cyclists were shot in the Tour de France and a man was charged with a hate crime after throwing fireworks at the Danish Gay Games. Elizabeth Riley, a non-practising Barrister with Bird & Bird, examines examples where sporting organisations have been found liable for supporter behaviour in negligence or under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957. Riley also examines contractual liability and how a sporting organisation's members can be held liable for supporter behaviour under the rules of that organisation.

The full version of this article appears in the September edition of World Sports Law Report.

Corporations pay millions to exclusively sponsor events such as the FIFA 2010 World Cup South Africa, however ambush marketing by non-sponsors keen to associate themselves with popular events threatens that revenue. In the first in a series of three articles, Michael Murphy, an Attorney with Garlicke & Bousfield, examines how South African law protects sports organisations and their sponsors from ambush marketing, as well as new legislation passed specifically for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The full version of this article appears in the September edition of World Sports Law Report.

A number of cases regarding the use of the use of amateur athletes' images in computer games are currently pending in the US legal system. Anastasios Kaburakis, an Attorney-at-law at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, discusses the detrimental impact on the amateur status of the National Collegiate Athletic Association that the cases could have.

The full version of this article appears in the September edition of World Sports Law Report.

UK Sport welcomes the Home Office's addition of 24 anabolic steroids and 2 growth hormones to the Misuse of Drugs Act. http://bit.ly/1IUp0I

 

Cyclist Bernard Kohl is claiming that he was able to bribe WADA scientist! http://bit.ly/VEVZe

 

Charles Russell LLP will be continuing their support of paralympic sailor Helena Lucas at the London 2012 Olympics. http://bit.ly/xCOJ2

 

Arsenal to appeal UEFA's two-match ban on Eduardo for diving. http://bit.ly/INgGm

 

Chelsea to appeal against FIFA transfer ban until 2011 for 'tapping up' Gaël Kakuta. Press release is at http://bit.ly/RSHKw

 

Premier Rugby has brought in new rules which allow opposition doctors to inspect blood injuries. http://tinyurl.com/kp8g5h

 

European Sports Security Association confirmed to speak at Sport, Betting & Sponsorship: London, 25 September 2009 http://tiny.cc/pp4bC

 

FIFA has banned Chelsea from signing any new players until 2011! http://tinyurl.com/nftcko

 

The ERC has decided against throwing Harlequins out of the Heineken Cup. http://bit.ly/SeRp7

 

The BHA licensed Kieren Fallon's return to horseracing on Friday. He was accused of fixing and banned for drugs. http://tinyurl.com/m574to

 

European Rugby Cup has released its full judgment following its inquiry into Harlequins' use of fake blood. http://tinyurl.com/nvwevo

 

FIA is investigating allegations that Renault ordered Piquet Jr to crash allowing Alonso's Singapore GP victory. http://tinyurl.com/omheyd

 

The 11th Elite Club Coaches Forum will take place at UEFA Headquarters in Nyon on the afternoon of 3 and the morning of 4 September.

 

To follow World Sports Law Report on Twitter, click here.

 

FIFA uses the 4th report from the PFPO - which reports fewer club-trained players - to support its 6+5 proposal. http://tinyurl.com/noumcc

 

UEFA & FIFA have agreed new rules on financial fair play in club football. http://tinyurl.com/lgszj5

 

Lawrence Dallaglio is part of a 13-man task force appointed by the RFU to tackle corruption in the game. http://tinyurl.com/ntkf5f

    

Gambling Commission: no action on suspicious betting reports @ Liang Wenbo v Peter Ebdon NI Trophy snooker match. http://tinyurl.com/nxnq8r

    

Stephen Maguire and Jamie Burnett were quizzed by Police over irregular betting at the Maplin UK Snooker Champs. http://tinyurl.com/l2k9l2

    

The Tennis Integrity Unit has warned US Open players that Twittering may violate anti-corruption rules. http://tinyurl.com/m9lgx7

    

Tom Williams asked Quins: 4yr contract + mortgage paid off for not appealing sanctions for faking a blood injury. http://tinyurl.com/lev94s

    

The RFU could take further action against Harlequins after Tom Williams' testimony in the fake blood scandal. http://tinyurl.com/ksvhay

    

Caster Semenya's testosterone levels are three times higher than expected in a female, BBC reports. http://tinyurl.com/n78cur

    

The FA will investigate crowd violence that took place at West Ham's Tuesday Carling Cup game against Millwall. http://tinyurl.com/kqbmvt

    

Betfair's Head of Compliance Investigations to speak at Sport, Betting & Sponsorship, 25 September 2009 http://tinyurl.com/lpcppv

The RFU will take no further action against Harlequins players for allegedly using fake blood on 4 occasions. http://tinyurl.com/ksvhay

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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), based in Lausanne, Switzerland, has just published (July, 2009) a Digest of the Awards made by its Ad Hoc Division (AHD) - a kind of circuit tribunal of the CAS - during the  Beijing Olympic Games held from 8 – 24 August, 2008; and, as usual, they make very interesting reading. They are published in the two official languages of the CAS: English and French.

Writing in the Foreword, the President of the CAS AHD, Dr Robert Briner, had this to say:

‘The caseload of the ad hoc Division was comparable to those of the last Games. The most important aspect of the role of the ad hoc Division of CAS in the Olympic Games ….. is, however, not the number of cases decided but the fact that there exists an independent body which in a very short time is able to render and independent and fair judgment in the interests of the athletes and all other participants and thereby uphold the integrity of the Olympic Games. This was the seventh time CAS set up an ad hoc Division at Olympic Games. The presence and activity of CAS has therefore become a mature, traditional element of the Games. It has established and refined its working methods and is universally accepted throughout the Olympic Movement.’

The CAS AHD has operated at all the Summer and Winter Games since and including those held in Atlanta in 1996 (the so-called ‘COKE Games’); and will again be in session at the Winter and Summer Games in Vancouver and London in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Under the CAS AHD rules, the proceedings are free of charge and awards must rendered within twenty-four hours of a case being brought before the CAS AHD. Of course, if the services of a lawyer or a translator are engaged in the proceedings, their fees must be paid by the party concerned. 

The jurisdiction of the CAS AHD is derived from the provisions of article 59 of the Olympic Charter, the latest version of which dates from 7 July, 2007, as follows:

‘Any dispute arising on the occasion of, or in connection with, the Olympic Games shall be submitted exclusively to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, in accordance with the Code of Sports-related Arbitration.’

To give effect to these mandatory and exclusive provisions, the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China issued on 10 June, 2008 to the relevant People’s Court in Beijing and also to the co-host cities, with the exception of Hong Kong (SAR), the following directive:

‘The period of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, pursuant to the stipulations under the Host City Contract for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in the Year 2008 executed by and between us and the IOC, and provisions under the Olympic Charter, the Court of Arbitration for Sport will set up an ad hoc division in Beijing to conduct arbitration of three types of sports-related disputes concerning the events of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.’

The types of disputes concerned are as follows:

• eligibility disputes;

• doping test results; and

• event results or referee penalties.

To guarantee the exclusive jurisdiction of the CAS AHD, the above directive also included the following provision:

‘The People’s Court will not accept any legal proceeding instituted in regard to the aforesaid disputes; provided that a party is dissatisfied with the arbitration award made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in regard to the aforesaid disputes and thus requests that the People’s Court withdraw such award or applies to the People’s Court for enforcement, the People’s Court shall not accept.’

As far as the athletes and other participants in the Olympic Games are concerned, they are required, in their entry form, to submit all disputes to the CAS AHD whether they wish to do so or not; otherwise they will not be allowed to participate. Quaere: is this a valid consent to arbitration? An interesting subject and one for another occasion!

Eleven cases were filed with the CAS AHD in Beijing; and, surprisingly, there were no doping cases. About half the cases raised eligibility issues and the other half concerned decisions taken by officials during the competitions. The sports concerned included field hockey; swimming; tennis; wrestling; and sailing.

The cases were handled by a team of 12 CAS arbitrators drawn from the five continents of the world and they were supported administratively by members of the CAS Office.

Two of the Awards made by the CAS AHD in Beijing were appealed – unsuccessfully – to the Swiss Federal Tribunal and the text of the Judgement of the Tribunal delivered on 22 January, 2009 is included in the CAS Digest. The Digest also usefully contains the AHD Rules for the Beijing Games and the CAS Application for AHD Arbitration Form.

A copy of the Digest of the Beijing CAS AHD Awards and further information on the CAS generally may be obtained from:

 

Court of Arbitration for Sport

Avenue de Beaumont 2

1012 Lausanne

Switzerland

Tel: + 44 21 613 50 00

Fax: + 44 21 613 50 01

E-Mail: info@tas-cas.org

Website: www.tas-cas.org

 

Ian Blackshaw, Sports Lawyer

TMC Asser International Sports Law Centre, The Hague

Premier Rugby is to bring in new injury checks following the discovery that Harlequins faked a blood injury. http://tinyurl.com/kp5spc

The BHA has dismissed an appeal from trainer Karl Burke against a 1yr ban for alleged race fixing. http://tinyurl.com/mtdkql

IRB extended a 3yr ban on Harlequins officials from ERC competitons to all rugby union, for faking a blood injury. http://tinyurl.com/l9wu34

Australia alerted the ICC that a player was approached during The Ashes by a man suspected of illegal bookmaking. http://tinyurl.com/nozb9e

Six Australian Celtic Crusaders rugby league players are to be deported for breaching immigration rules. http://tinyurl.com/kpzqvb

The IAAF has asked new womens 800m champion Caster Semenya to take a gender test. http://tinyurl.com/kq4vtl

Bath duo appeal against nine month ban for avoiding drug tests under employment contracts outside of WADA's remit. http://tinyurl.com/qg8bbr

Wenger: European league in 10 years, "especially if the rules become too restrictive for these clubs". 6+5 anyone? http://tinyurl.com/lfbpah

Harlequins' coach Dean Richards was banned by the ERC for three years due to his part in faking a blood injury. http://tinyurl.com/qnfhku

The European Rugby Cup is to decide on Harlequins' future in the cup today, after the team faked a blood injury. http://tinyurl.com/lboxfm

 

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London 2012 has appointed that London Marathon to work on the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic marathons. http://tinyurl.com/on5lo2

The IOC has taken action against five equestrian riders for doping of horses at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. http://tinyurl.com/odrfaa

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum has been banned from riding after his horse tested positive for steroids. http://tinyurl.com/pcqd8f

The IOC has approved new sports for the London 2012 Olympics. Golf and rugby will have to wait until 2016. http://tinyurl.com/5692f

Harlequins' Tom Williams will appeal against a year ban for feigning a blood injury. http://tinyurl.com/lboxfm

Middlesbrough's Andrew Taylor launched a site designed to help footballers avoid getting ripped off by salesmen! http://tinyurl.com/ngtlnd

The FA has suspended Accrington Stanley's Peter Cavanagh for betting on his own team. http://tinyurl.com/ljm2sy

Cardiff City form a 'strategic marketing alliance' with Malaysian group Football Focus Asia wiping out £24m debt. http://tinyurl.com/m74n4y

Harlequins RU to face a second ERC inquiry into injury fabrication in order to bring on a kicker near game end. http://tinyurl.com/lboxfm

Birmingham City's Chairman and Managing Director are cleared of tax irregularities following a 2yr investigation. http://tinyurl.com/ku4sjo

Follow World Sports Law Report on Twitter here.

 

Bath rugby union players have set up a five-man group designed to self-police against further drug taking. http://tinyurl.com/nj28xp

English rugby union players will become the first in the world to be tested for social drugs out of competition. http://tinyurl.com/njjzux

The FIA and Formula One teams have signed a new Concorde Agreement, governing how the sport is run until 2012. http://tinyurl.com/kj7sjo

Bath Rugby players consider appeal against RFU drug ban. http://tinyurl.com/lcnw9c

The IOC agrees not to suspend Kuwait after it pledged to amend a local law which had threatened sport's autonomy. http://tinyurl.com/krmrot

Indian cricketers are refusing to sign the new WADA Code due to whereabouts requirements. http://tinyurl.com/ly9tju

Tour de France stage 16 winner Mikel Astarloza has been suspended by the ICU after a positive test for EPO. http://tinyurl.com/mb6vbs

Follow World Sports Law Report on Twitter here!

 

The Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) has amended its rules to ban all bodysuits from swimming from 2010, after world records were broken using new generation non-permeable swimsuits which critics allege provide an unfair advantage by aiding buoyancy. Records set using bodysuits will stand. As well as mandating that all swimsuits shall be 'constituted only by textile fabric', the 28 July FINA Bureau decision bans all male swimsuits extending 'above the navel' or 'below the knee', and for women 'shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder, nor extend below knee'.
The full version of this article appears in the August edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

Five tennis players are seeking compensation from the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and online gambling operator Interwetten, alleging that their suspension for online gambling was engineered to satisfy public and media concerns over corruption in tennis. The players also allege that Interwetten's ability to sponsor future tennis events was conditional on it providing information about the betting activities of players to the ATP.
The full version of this article appears in the August edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

The Football Association Premier League (FAPL) has yet to decide whether it will pursue statutory damages, after it won the right to claim them from YouTube for broadcasting its live games. In a 7 July ruling, a US district court said that FAPL could claim statutory damages under the 'live broadcast exemption' of the Copyright Act. The exemption entitles FAPL to claim up to $150,000 per work infringed.
The full version of this article appears in the August edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

Traditionally, the health and fitness industry has looked to the United States for its leadership. Based in Boston, USA, the International Health and Racquet Sportsclub Association¹ (IHRSA) has led the industry for over 25 years with its programme of business education, networking and advocacy.
The full version of this article appears in the August edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

Formula One has proposed a cap of £40 million on team budgets from 2010, a move initially opposed by its teams. Elizabeth Mehdevy, a Partner with Field Seymour Parkes, examines the economic reasons for the cap, the damage that the threat of a breakaway series has already done to the sport and whether the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile could ban drivers from competing in any rival series, should it be launched.
The full version of this article appears in the August edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

The Hellenic Football Federation has accepted an argument raised before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that a rule requiring six players in second division squads to be eligible for the national team contravenes EU law. Dr. Gregory Ioannidis, who acted as Counsel for the Appellant at the CAS, outlines the arguments raised at the CAS against the rule, and examines the implications for similar restrictions, such as FIFA's '6+5' rule.
The full version of this article appears in the August edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) told four former Bath players to appear before an RFU disciplinary panel, where they will be charged with 'conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game', following allegations that they took prohibited substances and refused to take drug tests. Stephen Farrow, an Associate at Norton Rose, examines the legal obligations for clubs wishing to test employees for drugs outside of World Anti Doping Agency procedure.
The full version of this article appears in the August edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

 Poland has introduced a number of legislative changes designed to prepare the country for its joint hosting of Euro 2012 with Ukraine. Piotr Majer, a Senior Associate with Laszczuk and Partners, examines the special legal status of projects, the legal status of special purpose vehicles relating to Euro 2012, why the European Commission objected to proposed changes in its public procurement legislation and proposals to levy an extra tax on gambling to finance Euro 2012.

The full version of this article appears in the August edition of World Sports Law Report.

A World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) panel rules that Official Tickets' use of club trademarks in connection with 'official tickets' in domains creates a likelihood of confusion that the websites are authorised by the clubs. Rohan Massey, a Partner at McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP, analyses WIPO's decision to allow a consolidated complaint.
The full version of this article appears in the August edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

Ofcom intends to require BSkyB to wholesale pay-TV content at regulated prices to all. Stephen Hornsby, a Partner with Davenport Lyons, examines the plans, the Premier League's objection that Ofcom's proposal would undermine competition for its rights, the regulation difficulties that Ofcom may face in implementing its plans and possible delays to them.
The full version of this article appears in the August edition of World Sports Law Report.

 

 Football is not only the world's favourite game, but also the world's most lucrative sport. In fact, it is actually a product in its own right according to Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA. Therein lies its success and also the seeds of its potential downfall, if it loses touch with its sporting objectives and also its constituents.

The full version of this article appears in the August edition of World Sports Law Report.

The news story that most intrigued me this week was that Manchester United has implemented a policy that the club will not sign players over 26 years of age, in a move apparently designed to generate value for the club at the end of a five or six year player contract when that player is sold. I am sure that this article screamed out to the sensibilities of sports lawyers as well, as clear discrimination contrary to Article 6 of the Employment Equality Directive (2000/78/EC).

Manchester United are not silly enough to put such a policy in writing, and when questioned by World Sports Law Report, denied its existence. “We sign, and will continue to sign, players of all ages and abilities”, said a club spokesperson. “There is no such policy”. The European Commission also indicated that if the policy doesn’t rule out the signing of older players but submits each proposed signing to a cost against investment calculation, then that may not be illegal. “The Employment Equality Directive forbids discrimination in the workplace on grounds of race, religion, disability, age or sexual orientation”, said a Commission spokesperson. “However, as far as I can understand from the Guardian’s article, you are actually referring to a policy decision based on a cost/investment calculation which does not rule out the signing of older players, but will submit any new recruitment to an assessment of its longer-term financial viability”.

Given that Deloitte’s recent Annual Review of Football Finance revealed massive levels of club debt – which is not a good position to be in given the precarious nature of banks’ lending abilities in today’s economic climate – the above story illustrates that clubs are beginning to carefully examine every investment they make (unless you are Real Madrid). This shift in policy could perhaps have more of an effect that any proposals to limit overseas signings to protect national teams, such as FIFA’s ‘6+5’ idea. A good example of where this has already happened is Scotland. Following the collapse of ITV Digital and a massive reduction in TV payments, Scottish clubs were forced to re-evaluate their economic situation, and many realised that training up young players was cheaper than signing players from overseas. The Scottish national team – which is currently 22nd in FIFA’s rankings – has benefited as a result (although the Scottish Premier League could be put under massive economic pressure if Setanta collapses).

There is a forum where you can discuss these issues further. As you can see from the article below, World Sports Law Report and Hammonds LLP have organised an excellent line up of speakers for Player Issues: Regulations & Contracts 2009. It would be great to see you there.

Andy Brown

 

FIFA, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the FA Premier League, FIFPro and more will address World Sports Law Report’s second Player Issues: Contracts & Regulations full-day briefing, which will be hosted at the London offices of Hammonds LLP on 1 July.

Mariana Jonsson, Group Leader and Legal Counsel for FIFA; Mike Forde, Performance Director at Chelsea FC; James MacDougall, European and International Officer with the Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR) and Stephen Sampson, Partner, Hammonds LLP will address the identification of young talent and measures tackling the international transfer of minors.

Stephan Netzle, an Arbitrator with the Court of Arbitration for Sport; Theo van Seggelen and Wil van Megen of FIFPro and Peter Limbert of Hammonds LLP will examine compensation in football – in particular, the Matuzalem and Webster rulings.

Jane Purdon, Company Secretary for the FA Premier League; Mariana Jonsson from FIFA and Rodrigo Garcia of Spanish sports law experts Cuatrecasas will examine third party ownership in sport.

Other speakers will include Professor Ulrich Battis, co-author of the controversial Institute for European Affairs report backing FIFA’s ‘6+5’ proposal, which limits the amount of overseas players that clubs can sign. The proposal has recently received the backing of FIFA’s Congress. Ian Smith, Legal Director for the Professional Cricketers’ Association will also explain the International Cricket Council’s difficulties in policing new unauthorised forms of cricket.

For a full programme, click here and for more information, contact Erika Joyce on +44 (0)20 7012 1383.

 

 Other than reading and analysing the Matuzalem case, one of the most interesting articles I came across this week turned out to be a non-story. The South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC) confirmed that South Africa’s consideration of legalising prostitution to prevent people trafficking and under-age coercion was not in response to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as media reports had suggested.

“The release of the Discussion Paper on Sexual Offences: Adult Prostitution is not in response to the 2010 World Cup”, said Dellene Clark, Principal State Law Advisor for the SALRC. “However, being released at this time, it is a matter of discussion. No legislative proposals are contained in the Discussion Paper, as we need to embark on a public consultation exercise to discuss the various possible models available.”

These are: total criminalisation of prostitution (status quo); partial criminalisation; Non-criminalisation; and regulation. A report on adult prostitution will follow containing legislative proposals which once approved by SALRC, will be handed to the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development, Jeffrey Thamsanqa Radebe. SALRC is accepting comments on the four proposals until 30 June 2009.

However, there is media concern that the World Cup could fuel demand, which probably prompted news articles on this subject in the first place. ‘Demand for sexual services can be linked to sex tourism, a growing industry where individuals seek commercial sex as part of the travel experience’, read the Discussion Paper (0001/2009), released by SALRC on 6 May. ‘The upcoming FIFA World Cup in 2010 has reportedly sparked specific concerns around both internal and cross-border trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation’.

Despite media hysteria on this subject – which perhaps says something about the industry that I work in – there is scant evidence that sporting events fuel a rise in people trafficking due to prostitution. A report adopted by the European Parliament on 17 January 2006 urged Germany to prevent trafficking of women and forced prostitution ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, the Council of the European Union reported (5006/1/07) that of 33 cases involving human trafficking for sexual exploitation reported to the Federal Criminal Police Office during the tournament, only five involved a link to the tournament.

The Matuzalem ruling continues to cause rumbles in the world of football. One aspect that has not been fully explored is how the ruling will impact buy-out clauses in player contracts. The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected FC Shakhtar Donetsk’s claim that it was due €25 million due to a clause that bound the club into releasing the player should an offer be received for €25 million as not being a buy-out clause, however the CAS did not fully explore the legitimacy of buy-out clauses.

In reporting on the ruling, one of the aspects I could not cover – unfortunately – was the extravagant terms of Matuzalem’s contract with FC Shakhtar. As well as agreeing to pay the Brazilian €96,925 per month, the club also provided him with a car ‘with an estimated cost from $23,000 to $26,000, bear all charges on service and maintenance’, a ‘habitation (two bedroom flat)’ and to ‘compensate the player the cost of the apartment rent in Donetsk by adding monthly €1,533’ to his salary. Those are expenses which a UK MP could envy.

In other news;

• All Formula One teams submitted entries to take part in the 2010 Formula One championship, reports AFP, presumably ending complaints over the £40 million budget cap.

• West Ham United have been hit with a six-figure demand from an agency claiming to have arranged the Premier League club’s sponsorship agreement with SBOBET, reports The Guardian.

If you would like to discuss any of these issues further, then please get in contact by clicking on my name below. The next edition of World Sports Law Report will be up on our internet site next week, and we are always looking for new authors and topics.

Andy Brown

Foot Anstey Solicitors is organising a Sports Law Conference based at their offices in Plymouth, with proceeds dedicated to Childen's Hospice South West, who provide the only hospice care in the South West for children with life-limiting conditions. The programme will include:
• The World Anti-Doping Code: considering its implications;
• Securing and Managing Sponsorship in the Credit Crunch: protecting your name and brand;
• Dealing with On-Field and Off-Field Incidents;
• Child Protection Issues: a review of the current law;
• When Tax Gets Taxing: tips for the sporting sector.
World Sports Law Report is proud to count itself as a supporter of this conference. For more information on speakers and a full conference programme, click here.
 

Since the creation of the European Union enshrined free movement of workers across borders, there have been a number of important sporting rulings testing these principles. Bosman, Webster and Kolpak immediately spring to mind, however I am sure that sports lawyers can name many more. Perhaps we should have a competition. The name of Matuzalem must be now added to that list, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the Brazilian must pay Shaktar Donetsk €11.86 million for unilateral breach of his contract.

The CAS’ ruling is here. FIFA praised the decision as supporting its regulations that Article 17 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players does not allow players to unilaterally breach their contracts. FIFPro, however, disagreed, stating that the ruling emphasises that FIFA’s Regulations breach freedom of movement principles. “Implementing these new specificities is most certainly outside of the boundaries set by the European Commission”, said Theo van Seggelen, General Secretary of the international players’ union.

In other news;

• The Football Association is to deliver its response to government questions on the future of football next week, reports The Guardian.

• The Presidents of both FIFA and WADA had a telephone conversation on Monday, after which FIFA confirmed that it has ratified the WADA Code, but that a couple of points relating to team sports need to be resolved. However, FIFPro – which has already launched legal proceedings against the requirements under the new version of the WADA Code – reiterated its opposition.

• The England and Wales Cricket Board has called for new legislation against ticket touting, after its investigation revealed over 1,900 ‘black market’ tickets for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament, reports The Guardian.

• UEFA instigated disciplinary proceedings against Chelsea FC for the improper conduct of players and supporters during the UEFA Champions League semi-final against FC Barcelona, and against Didier Drogba and Joseph Bosingwa for breach of the principles of sportsmanship. The case will be heard on 17 June.

• The Football League has written to the government proposing scrapping the transfer window domestically and a transfer ban on clubs that fall behind in tax payments, reports the BBC.

• FINA, the international swimming federation, has revised its approval of swimming suits following the breaking of a number of records by swimmers wearing high-tech suits recently, reports The Guardian.

If you would like to discuss any of these issues further, please get in touch by clicking on my name below.

Andy Brown

 Top British athletes are to meet with UK Sport and the British Olympic Association (BOA) to try to settle a potential dispute over the use of their valuable image rights. UK Sport wants athletes to sign a contract to be part of a sponsorship scheme to cover a £50 million shortfall in the government's £300 million funding package in connection with the London Olympics in 2012.
The scheme is designed to bring in private investment and would require athletes to promote its commercial partners. But athletes are concerned that the deal could affect their exploitation of their individual image rights with other companies and firms.
UK Sport has responded to these concerns by claiming that any work required will not compromise private deals; and is hoping to discuss the matter with the athletes and their agents as soon as possible, to put a stop to any potential row breaking out between them. All 1,400 publicly-funded athletes must agree to the terms to qualify for UK Lottery Grants, but there are believed to be around 80 athletes who are opposing the proposed scheme.
A UK Sport representative has remarked in general:
"The majority of athletes have not had any questions over this, and we are committed to finding resolution with those that have".  
Currently, athletes who receive Lottery Funding, are required to give up three days each year for promotional activities, and UK Sport insists that the new arrangements will not significantly increase those demands.
"The three days we are asking for is on the back of the very substantial public funding being invested in the athletes already, and we would not want to have to consider that investment," he added.
BBC sports news correspondent, Gordon Farquhar, has explained that the deal has been put together to try to fill a shortfall in funding ahead of London 2012 and adds:
"The Team 2012 initiative is designed to bring in private sector investment to plug a £50 million funding hole. It's hoped that it will develop into a significant funding stream in the future for elite sport."
But private companies are concerned that the new sponsorship scheme could devalue their deals with the individual athletes that they are sponsoring by putting conflicting pressures on them. In other words, diluting their valuable image rights for which not insignificant sponsorship fees have been paid.
UK Sport hopes that the situation can be clarified and any misunderstandings ironed out in an explanatory meeting with the athletes concerned. Furthermore, UK Sport justifies its plan in the following terms:
'Team 2012 is a crucial part of the fundraising for elite sport and it needs everyone involved to get behind it. It is a new approach, and it is not surprising that some higher-profile athletes want a better understanding about what it means for them. But it also offers a real opportunity for sponsors to help support the whole mission through to 2012. It would be disappointing therefore if that meant we did not have a positive response from athletes, and we believe that once the issues about it have been fully discussed there will be a much better understanding.'
This spat between top athletes and UK Sport is a classic clash that crops up, from time to time, between the commercialisation and exploitation of individual athletes' image rights and the use of them to promote wider group interests - in other words, collective exploitation of their image rights. As usual, it is a balancing act between competing interests and a fair compromise, therefore, needs to be found. It is, in certain respects, analogous to the exploitation of footballers' image rights on an individual basis compared with their exploitation on a team or collective basis. So, perhaps a compromise in the athletes' case can be reached along the lines of clause 4 of the standard English Football Association Premier League Contract of Employment (FAPL Contract), which was introduced at the start of the 2003/04 season to deal with this kind of potential conflicting situation and seems to be providing, in practice, a suitable and workable sharing of the image rights of players in a so-called 'Club Context' (as defined in the clause) and in their individual context. Apart from all these arrangements, footballers are allowed to have their own boot sponsorship agreements and goalkeepers their own glove deals with sponsors who are not team sponsors and to wear the corresponding branding, which would otherwise conflict with the team branding.

Ian Blackshaw Sports Lawyer
TMC Asser Instituut International Sports Law Centre, The Hague

For further information and comment on the detailed provisions of clause 4 of the FAPL Contract and their application, and, in particular, sub-clause 5, which deals with a player's general freedom to conclude individual image rights deals outside the scope of clause 4 generally, see 'Sports Image Rights in Europe', Ian S Blackshaw & Robert C R Siekmann (Eds), 2005 T M C Asser Press, The Hague, The Netherlands, ISBN 90-6704-195-5, at pp 338 - 343.

There have been plenty of interesting articles this week regarding the Premier League’s 30-page plan to reform its business model in response to calls from the government for the competition to reassess its relationship with money, including its decision to implement a home-grown players quota.
It appeared to be a week for big news, such as Ferrari’s threat to withdraw from Formula One in protest against new rules capping team budgets at £40 million. More should be known next week following a team meeting today between the teams and the Fédération Internationale de Automobile. Analysis of the new rules will appear in a future edition of World Sports Law Report.
In other news;

• Senior football figures in Argentina and Brazil are lobbying FIFA to introduce regulations banning third-party ownership of players, reports The Guardian.

• Authorities leading the investigation into corruption in football will bring and end to the inquiry in September, reports The Guardian.

• The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has adopted a revised version of its International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information (ISPP), after the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party said it does not ensure an adequate level of data protection, reported DataGuidance, World Sports Law Report’s sister publication. The Guardian reports that the reason for the revision is that Governments threatened to cut WADA’s funding if it continued to fight European data protection legislation. WADA has also made it clear that FIFA will not have a concession from the whereabouts requirements.

• FIFA is to push ahead with its ‘6+5’ proposal at its congress in June, reports Soccer Investor.

• Video games have reared their head again. Former quarterback Sam Keller is suing the National College Athletics Association (NCAA) and its video game partner, EA Sports, claiming that they are unfairly creating players within games that resemble real players, reports USA Today. You guessed it – college players are prevented from sharing in the profits.

• An interesting case is developing around the transfer of Jonas Gutierrez to Newcastle United, after the Magpies were ordered to pay £5 million to his former club as compensation, reports Sky Sports. It appears that Real Mallorca decided to resolve the case in Spanish courts rather than resort to FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is not yet known if Newcastle will appeal, as Gutierrez claimed to have legitimately left the Spanish club under FIFA’s Article 17, which allows players to terminate their contract outside of the ‘protected period’, if the contract is unspecific with regard to compensation for unilateral termination of a player contract.

If you would like a chat on any of the issues above, please get in touch. Best regards for the weekend;

Andy Brown

 

 Two strange sporting results took place during the past week, both of which have implications for the regulation of sport. The first – and the most obvious – was the behaviour of Chelsea players towards the referee in the Chelsea vs. Barcelona UEFA Champions League semi-final. Aside from the fact that UEFA is due to rule on whether to punish Didier Drogba next week, I believe that the situation deserves a deeper examination of the authority of officials in football. In both rugby codes, only the captain of the team is allowed to speak to the referee, which as well as protecting the referee from the sort of unjustified intimidation carried out by Michael Ballack, enforces a sense of team hierarchy that football could benefit from (also, it would have been far more entertaining to see Ballack chasing John Terry around the pitch). Rugby players also know that they do not have to carry out such extravagant appeals to the referee, since their captain can ask for a decision to be reviewed by the video referee. I respect FIFA’s adherence to tradition (yards rather than metres), however in certain instances, it should move with the times.
The second strange result took place last weekend, where Leicester Tigers progressed to the final of the Heineken Cup by beating Cardiff Blues in a penalty shoot out. Yes, they are both rugby union teams. Each team had to pick five players to put the ball over the posts in a method of settling a game that seems borrowed from football rather than following rugby’s principles. Thankfully, The Guardian reports that Premier Rugby will consult the Professional Rugby Players’ Association before deciding on a penalty format for the Guinness Premiership semi-finals on Saturday.
In other news;

• Major European skiing associations have created a European Skiing Association (EuroSki), reports Universal Sports.

• The government is discussing ways in which the FA Premier League can redistribute its earnings on a fairer basis, reports the Daily Mail.

• Research from Brand Finance has valued the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) cricket brand at over US$311 million and the entire enterprise at US$2.01 billion. A spokesperson for the brand valuation company told South Africa’s The Times that listings could be possible for some of the eight franchises.

• The Formula One Teams’ Association (FOTA) has asked for talks with the Fédération Internationale de Automobile (FIA) about a proposed £40 million budget cap from 2010, reports the BBC.

• Arsenal told Soccer Investor that they are cooperating with an investigation by the Takeover Panel that relates to Stan Kroenke’s share purchase in the club.

• The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will have to amend its constitution to introduce a woman onto its 12-man board, reports The Guardian!

• Finally, congratulations to former colleagues involved in organising the excellent SportAccord conference, which brings together the world’s sporting federations. The General Association of International Sporting Federations (GAISF – or AGFIS if you prefer French) have decided to change their name to match that of the conference. Well done Fiona, Polly, Anna, Jonny, etc.

The May edition of World Sports Law Report is currently on our internet site. Enjoy!

Andy Brown

 It has been an extremely busy week in the world of sports regulation, which perhaps explains why most of the sports lawyers I have spoken to this week have been rushed off their feet. In a new feature launched today by World Sports Law Report, here are some of the news articles that we found interesting.

• In cricket, county players have been warned against signing contracts for a new competition, the American Premier League, reports CricInfo. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has also offered an amnesty to all cricketers, umpires and support staff connected with the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League, as long as they sever all ties with the competition. There will be more on this in the May edition of World Sports Law Report, to be published shortly.

• The Executive Board of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is to meet on 9 and 10 May in Montreal to discuss the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party’s opinion on WADA’s International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information. 

• The International Olympic Committee has announced that its retesting of samples taken during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has returned positive tests for six athletes, after new tests for CERA, a new type of EPO blood-boosting drug, became available after the Games.

• Formula One team McLaren Mercedes admitted five charges of breaching article 151c of the International Sporting Code relating to events at the Australian and Malaysian Grand Prix, which resulted in a three-race suspension. Formula One has also implemented a cost-capping system, which will penalise teams that spend more than £40 million – it is hoped this will facilitate the entry of new teams into the competition.

• Six Football League clubs have begun negotiations with the Hero Global Football Fund to borrow money, reports The Times. The Fund was banned by the FA Premier League in January, and there will be more on their reaction to this in May’s World Sports Law Report.

• The Telegraph reports that Alain Bernard may be stripped of his 100m freestyle world record by the international swimming federation (FINA), which has yet to decide if such suits comply with its regulations. World Sports Law Report covered this issue in December 2008.

• The Rugby Football Union has warned players that if they are unable to guarantee their availability for the 2010 England tour to Australia, they face exclusion from the elite player squad this summer, reports The Guardian.

• The UK Government is planning to appoint a task force to tackle perceived issues around sport and gambling, Gerry Sutcliffe told The Guardian’s Owen Wilson in an interview. Further investigation revealed that this is an own-government initiative which will involve the appointment of a high profile figure to liaise with sports. Watch this space.

• And finally – bet you thought that we’d forgotten – Serie A clubs have voted to break away from Italy’s Lega Calcio, reports The Times. Serie A clubs currently share their TV revenue with Serie B clubs, and it is understood that the dispute relates to the distribution of that money.

That’s all folks – until next week. Please get in touch with me if you would like to discuss the issues raised by any of the above articles, or if you have other issues that you feel we should be exploring. I would be keen to discuss potential articles on any of the above subjects.

Andy Brown

Nick Cusack, Senior Executive at the Professional Footballers’ Association, has called on football authorities to 'get tough’ in their efforts to curb abuse from football crowds.

‘Unless FIFA and UEFA deduct points or disqualify teams from competitions for this kind of behaviour, players will be forced to take matters into their own hands and refuse to play when abuse occurs’, Cusack told an event hosted by the Crown Prosecution Service at Charlton Athletic's ground, reported The Guardian. ‘This has not happened yet but would be fully justified if this was to continue. The current financial punishments handed down to national football associations hardly send a strong message to players that the football authorities are acting proportionately.’

Cusack, who is speaking at World Sports Law Report’s briefing on The Credit Crunch: Implications for Sport, noted that while efforts to combat racist abuse have been largely successful, homophobic and Islamaphobic abuse are on the increase.

‘As a player, you accept criticism and mild abuse as part and parcel of the game but the more rabid and vituperative it becomes the more you feel that you should not have to tolerate it, and the authorities should be more proactive in reducing excess in that regard’, he said.

For more information on The Credit Crunch: Implications for Sport, which will be held on 8 May at the London offices of K&L Gates, click here, contact me by email or on  +44 (0)20 7012 1383.

Erika Joyce

 

 Jon Varney of Premier Rugby and Nick Cusack from the Professional Footballers’ Association will speak at The Credit Crunch: Implications for Sport, a World Sports Law Report full-day briefing to be held at the London offices of K&L Gates on 8 May.

The global recession has hit financial institutions - one of the main benefactors for top level sport - especially hard. It has also resulted in the public cutting back on luxuries and for many, sport is an expensive luxury – this has been illustrated by many clubs freezing ticket prices in an attempt to halt attendance decline. The recession follows a financially tough season for domestic rugby union, which took place in 2007 despite players and fans decamping to France for the Rugby World Cup.

Football is also more than £3 million in debt, according to Lord Triesman, Chairman of the Football Association. UEFA is considering amending its club licensing system to stop clubs amassing unacceptable levels of debt. Many clubs began the 2008/9 season without a sponsor and many clubs are facing administration due to financial difficulties – the latest being Southampton, whose parent company went into administration recently.

Our Briefing will examine issues that sport will have to deal with due to the recession, such as restructuring of sponsorship and player contracts; methods of coping with declining revenue; the impact that the current economic climate has had on London 2012; maximising media revenue through combating piracy; impact on club investment and more.

In the spirit of the Briefing, we are also offering a £100 discount on the usual price of attendance, plus additional delegates can attend for £100 each.

For a full programme and a list of speakers, please visit our site, or contact Erika Joyce on +44(0)20 7012 1383.

 Salary caps and restrictions on player transfers have been in the news a lot recently. Michel Platini has said he is keen to limit the amount that clubs can spend on player transfers and wages, and FIFA has sent a report stating that its ‘6+5’ proposal is compliant with European law to the European Commission for analysis – the report will be one of the main topics of discussion at a 17 March meeting between the Commission and European Sports Ministers, as World Sports Law Report unveiled earlier this month.

The underlying principle behind these moves concerns protecting the integrity of sport. In any other business, you work towards the goal of eliminating competitors, however sport doesn’t work like that. Despite what Arsenal fans might tell you, a football fan doesn’t want to watch his team win every game in every season for evermore. Competitors must put up some sort of a fight for sport to remain interesting, or for fans to keep paying to watch it. Sport rightly argues that its circumstances are unique, which forms the basis of its argument that it should be afforded certain exemptions from European law to allow it to preserve that competitive element.

However, football is also unique from other sports. A salary cap is able to operate in US sports effectively because it is a closed market – other countries do not (yet) offer any meaningful competition in American football, basketball and baseball. A salary cap is also able to operate in both rugby codes because countries that play both codes have similar economic status (this is a simplistic analysis – there is an argument that south sea island nations have suffered poaching of players for many years and the salary cap does not prevent this).

As football operates in a variety of economic markets and the wealth of clubs varies dramatically, a salary cap would need to be global and would be difficult to enforce. Likewise, it is unproven as to whether the ‘6+5’ proposal will effectively encourage players to develop their own talent, as the ‘6’ refers to players qualified to play for the national team in the country in which the club is based (if you are over 18 and have been living in the UK for the last five years – or three years if you are married to a Brit – you qualify as a ‘British Citizen’. This principle allowed Lesley Vainikolo to play for England at rugby union, even though he was born in Tonga). The ‘6+5’ proposal also does not include substitutes, which would allow clubs to replace three of the six ‘qualified’ players shortly after the final whistle anyway.

As football is unique, it needs unique methods to reinforce the integrity of the game. As both the ‘6+5’ proposal and the salary cap are based around the same principle – that something must be done to encourage clubs to invest in youth and to limit club spending on wages in order to reinforce the competitive balance in football – then why not tackle both at once?

If sport does have the autonomy to make its own rules, as FIFA claims, then FIFA should grasp the nettle and come up with a bold rule. Why not limit player wages during the first two years of a professional contract (for example, to €400,000 per year) when playing for the starting 11 of a club? That would encourage clubs to develop their own players at a younger age and bring them through the system, rather than sign new players on extortionate wages. Player transfers could still operate, as long as players were prepared to accept a pay cut in order to move clubs. It would also encourage player loyalty in the eyes of the fan, as players would not be able to chase ever-higher wages and would be rewarded for loyalty, as they could be paid whatever amount their club deems fit following two years of service. It would also have less of an effect on smaller clubs than any salary cap based on a percentage of revenue.

While there are no doubt faults with this system, I think it has as much - if not more - merit than any of the proposals designed to protect the integrity of football put forward so far.

Andy Brown

Sport continues to be big business - it is worth more than 3% of world trade and more than 2% of the combined GNP of the 27 Member States of the European Union - despite the so-called 'credit crunch', which has had little impact as far as the world's most popular and lucrative sport of football is concerned. For example, recently a transfer deal of £100 million and a weekly salary of £500,000 were mooted in respect of the AC Milan midfielder Kaka. So, there is much to play for both on and off the field. Where substantial sums of money are in play, sports disputes are never far behind and are on the increase too. This, in turn, raises the question of how best to resolve them. By traditional means - through litigation in the courts - or modern ones, such as alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes.
ADR takes many forms and a popular one that is proving very successful for settling sports-related disputes - especially commercial and financial ones - fairly, quickly, inexpensively and effectively is Mediation. However, Mediation is not appropriate in all cases, particularly where injunctive relief is concerned and also in the case of doping, which can never be mediated. However, any financial consequences of doping offences do lend themselves to settlement through Mediation.
Mediation is essentially an assisted negotiation conducted through the medium of an independent mediator or facilitator, whose role is to facilitate the negotiation process and assist the parties to reach an amicable settlement of their dispute. The success of Mediation not only depends on the willingness of the parties in dispute to enter into negotiations, but also on the skills of the mediator, who requires not only an appreciation of the negotiation process, but also negotiation skills.
In order to appreciate how to mediate successfully, it is necessary to understand the process and dynamics of negotiating. So, in this article, we will take a look at the general principles of negotiating, which, although not a science, is certainly an art.

Negotiating guidelines
There are a number of useful guidelines to be followed in order to achieve a successful outcome in any negotiations and these general principles apply whatever the nature of the dispute.
In basic terms, negotiating is 'getting to yes'. Like any other form of advocacy - persuading another person to accept your point of view - a negotiation needs to be carefully planned. Before you start, you need to know clearly what your objectives are and how you are going to achieve them. Make sure, however, that your objectives are realistic and reasonably achievable.
An important part of the planning process is to gather as much intelligence about the other side in the negotiation as possible. You will need to know, amongst other things, the kind of people you are dealing with; their strengths and weaknesses; and their aims and objectives.
Again, as part of the planning process, the negotiation needs to be structured into distinct phases. The first phase should identify any points of agreement to get those out of the way; the next, any points of disagreement and the reasons for them. The following phases should be to evaluate - from your own point of view and that of the other side - the importance of these differences and the possibilities for any compromises. Try to identify the matters that are negotiable and the ones that are not negotiable. The points that can be conceded and 'given away' and the ones that cannot - the ones that are 'deal breakers' if not agreed.
Watch out for and try to interpret any 'body language' - that is, non-verbal communications and gestures. This is very important in multi-cultural negotiations. Negotiation also needs time and patience and should not, therefore, be rushed, otherwise bad deals may result.
Every negotiation should be conducted in a courteous and conciliatory manner. When tempers and blood pressures begin to rise, it is time to take a break.
The use of 'role play' - the 'hard' person and the 'soft' one - should be handled carefully. You should decide, in advance, on the particular roles to be played by each of the members of your negotiating team. In particular, you should appoint one of the members of the team to lead the negotiations and someone else to take notes and keep a record of everything that is said and 'agreed' during them. As to the composition of your negotiating team, if the issues raised involve technical, legal and/or financial matters, make sure that there is someone who is qualified and, therefore, can deal with them.
Likewise the imposition of any deadlines, which are designed to move the negotiation along and reach a conclusion more speedily, should also be carefully managed. As in litigation, so also in good negotiation, you should never issue a threat that you are not able and have no intention whatever of carrying out!
Timing is also very important. Choose your moment carefully to press home a particular point. Always know when and how to retreat.
In international negotiations, be aware of and allow for cultural differences and the need, where necessary, for the other side to 'save face'. This is especially important in negotiations with the Chinese and Japanese and also with parties from the Middle East, where pride may be at the heart of the matter or dispute.
Always remember that negotiating is 'getting to yes', and so always try to make it easy for the other side to say 'yes'.

Concluding remarks
You should be aware of all these negotiating techniques not only to use them effectively in your own interests, but also to be aware of any of them when they are being used against you!
In addition to all the other points that I have mentioned, there is one vital or 'golden rule' that should always apply to any negotiation and it is this: Do not insist on getting the last penny!
Also, it is always worth remembering: in a successful negotiation, everybody wins something.

Ian Blackshaw

International Sports Lawyer

 World Sports Law Report’s January edition broke news of a legal challenge to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s whereabouts requirements under the World Anti-Doping Code, which requires athletes to state where they will be for one hour each day for out-of-competition testing. The legal challenge, which was launched by Belgian players’ association ACV-Sporta, is being supported by the international association for football players’ associations, FIFPro.

The story received coverage in the Guardian on 22 January and on the BBC on 22 January, however subscribers to World Sports Law Report's e-law alerts, which are free of charge, were informed on 20 January, despite later claims that the story was broken elsewhere (I suppose I should be used to this after 10 years of trade journalism…). The first person two correctly guess which two news organisations also receive the e-law alerts will receive £100 off the cost of a World Sports Law Report subscription! To send your answer, please click on my name below.

Andy Brown

 The FA Premier League (FAPL) has revealed that during the 2007/8 season, it identified 177 different sites ‘which contained or were connected to unauthorised streaming of Premier League football matches’. The FAPL made its announcement in response to the UK Government’s Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform’s consultation on peer-to-peer (p2p) file sharing. The FAPL said that of those sites, 122 (63%) used p2p technology to distribute the content.

The figures illustrate what a tough job the FAPL faces in policing illegal content, and in retaining the value of its rights deal when it comes to renegotiate its rights package for 2010-2013. The value of the FAPL rights deals have continued to rise due to the exclusivity that it creates for its rights holders. If that exclusivity disappears, then the value of those rights could fall, and p2p streaming adds a third threat to the exclusivity of those rights.

The first threat concerns whether decoders can be used to watch matches broadcast by legitimate broadcasters in other Member States. The High Court is currently waiting for a ruling on this from the European Court of Justice. The second threat involves Ofcom’s continuing consultation into the pay-TV market in the UK, which could force BSkyB to allow other broadcasters to screen FAPL football. These potential pitfalls are examined in detail in the January edition of World Sports Law Report.

Andy Brown