The High Court delivered a ruling on Thursday, June 23, ordering Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Kenya to permanently block unauthorised live sports streaming websites.
The websites which rely on local ISPs namely Safaricom PLC and Jamii Telecom Limited, compelled giant broadcaster Multichoice Kenya in 2019 to seek orders barring them from pirating sports content over copyright issues.
Justice Wilfrida Okwany during the hearing found the ISPs at fault as the applicant, MultiChoice Kenya, had issued valid take-down notices to them which they had failed to comply without any lawful excuses.
Safaricom in 2020 had successfully sought an appeal to stay a temporary order issued by the High Court barring it from allowing the streaming websites from tapping the copyrighted content.
The landmark ruling will hence compel the telco giant to execute order, and it requested 72 hours to comply with the notices by MultiChoice which was granted by the court.
“A person whose rights have been infringed by content to which access is being offered by an Internet Service Provider may request by way of a takedown notice, that the ISP removes the infringing content.” Section 35B (1) of the Copyright Act stipulates.
MultiChoice in this case was seeking to protect the rights of Supersport, a South Africa-based television satellite which houses DStv and GOtv, that has been at the mercies of unscrupulous streaming sites where they tap into major European football leagues that are then accessed for free by watchers despite its heavy investment to hold the exclusive broadcast and transmission rights.
Among the leagues that attracts huge viewership on the sites include UEFA Super Cup, Championship and Europa Leagues, English Premier League and La Liga.
This hence comes as a blow to the thousands of fans who rely on the sites to catch up on their favourite matches and on the pirated copyrighted content to keep abreast of the happenings in the sporting arena.
The websites blocked include:
1.Totalsportek
2. ronaldo7
3. stream-cr7
4. ripple
5. vipleague
6. livesoccertv
7. livesport
8. soccer-live stream
9. LiveTV
10. vipbox live
11. sportnews
12. jokerlivestream
13. Cricfree
14. Fullmatchesandshows
15. Vipboxtv
16. liveharleyquinnwidge
17. Messistream
18. Yalla-shoot
19. HD streams
20. Cdn livetvcdn
21. Firstsrowsports
22. Livefootballol
23. Miradetodo
24. Livestream
25.Tvball7
26. Skytivi
27. Freeintertv
28. Vipstand
29. Extremotvplay
30. Stream2watch
31. Oeb
32. Ishunter
33. Myfeed2all
34. Barcelona stream
35. sport stream
36. Cricfree
37. Indiostv
38. Sport365 live
39. Kora-online TV
40. Stream woop
41. Sportzonline
42. Sportv
43. Rojadirecta
44. Cricsports
MultiChoice Kenya Managing Director, Nancy Matimu was one of many who were happy with the outcome of the ruling, stating that a win for the content creators and broadcasters was long overdue in the battle for their copyright protection, asking that other countries fall in line and safeguard their rights
“We have been fighting for years to ensure that there are legal copyright protections and that those protections are enforced. The court has reaffirmed the stance of the law that copyright must be protected.”
“The Kenyan courts have sent a message to the rest of the world that we respect the right of content creators to earn a living from their work,” said Matimu.
“This is a landmark ruling. With this verdict, Kenya is saying that any business looking to invest in Kenya can rest assured that their intellectual property will be protected.” she added.
By akirimi | 2 years ago