Last Sunday, establishments in Tampa reportedly (and at least one of which admittedly) broadcast to their patrons an Internet feed of the blacked-out game between the Steelers and the Buccaneers.
This Sunday, the NFL will be keeping an eye out for similar behavior.
Per the San Diego Union-Tribune, the league has sent "cease and desist" letters to eight Tampa-area establishments.
Wrote the blue suits from Covington & Burling in the correspondence, "We recently have been made aware that your establishment, without authorization from the NFL, showed to its patrons unauthorized Internet streams of NFL Game Telecasts. The Copyright Act authorizes the award of damages of up to $150,000 for each game telecast infringed, plus temporary and permanent injunctive relief, court costs, and attorneys' fees. . . .
"Accordingly, we demand that you immediately cease showing NFL Game Telecasts not televised locally and/or streamed illegally over the Internet."
NFL spokesman Dan Masonson told the Union-Tribune that the league will be on the lookout for potentially illegal broadcasts in San Diego.
"Typically, these establishments will comply and there will be no further infringement issues," Masonson said. "This week we are stepping up our monitoring of San Diego-area establishments and Internet streaming."
For the September 19 contest between the Jaguars and the Chargers, which was blacked out in San Diego, local bars showed the game via Internet feed or a DirecTV card registered to an area code outside the blackout zone.
Though attempts to shut down this practice may seem heavy-handed, the holders of copyrights must defend them or face losing them. Also, and as the Union-Tribune points out, purveyors of pay-per-view events for years have tried to prevent bars from illegally broadcasts.
