UFC Taking Action Against INDIVIDUALS Who Illegally Stream Events

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/3/13/2868272/ufc-piracy-legal-zuffa-streaming
There is an interesting bit of news over at the Wrestling Observer where they are reporting that the UFC intends to go after individuals who watch illegal streams of events, not just the websites that host the streams. This is unusual for pay-per-view event copyright cases, which almost always focus on the hosting site.

Here's the info from the Wrestling Observer:

Quote :

As part of legal action against the web site www.greenfeedz.com, which streamed UFC 130 to 142 illegally and was threatened with legal action, Zuffa was able to obtain e-mail addresses, user names, and each individual event streamed as well as IP addresses of everyone who watched an event through that web site and will be legally going after the individual consumers for copyright violations.

So basically, if you were registered on that site and watched an event, the UFC now has your information and will be looking to take legal action against you.

I'd be lying if I said I had much insight into what exact damages the UFC could go after in these cases, but this is clearly going to serve as a major deterrent to individuals to look for streams online going forward.

Honestly, this is a much more appropriate response for them in terms of action against piracy than ideas like supporting SOPA and will be a story that we'll have to keep our eyes on in the future.

Fuck UFC.

This is a really, really stupid idea

How can they take legal action against me when I went to a site that had it on for free? I didn't do anything wrong, the person streaming is who they should be mad at.


BRING IT ZUFFA! I will eat you alive and get free PPV's for life for the mental stress alone. I have watched atleast 5 episodes of Perry Mason so they don't want none of me. I will bring Wolf in with me as my lawyer. Suck it DW!

This is bullshit, some fans depend on streams because the UFC isn't even on tv in their country, hell we don't get to see Fuel cards on tv for whatever reason.

Ive bought cards in the past and I have watched streams. I havent always been a paying customer but some of the times I have been. If this is the way they want to proceed and flex their muscles then thats fine I guess. It looks greedy to me and im not really big on rich people being greedy. So my plan will be to not purchase another card ever again and just watch the fights the next day on Youtube or somewhere else.

I have tried to live my life within my means. Sometimes that means I have to wait a little while to get what I want when its cheaper , free, or I have saved up more money. In this case I may have to wait a day or two to watch a fight and thats fine life will go on.

I think in the long run this will cost the UFC more money than it will make them.

probably a scare tactic to get people to think twice before watching for free, but hard to see where there is a case worth pursuing. An individual streamer is not responsible for all the people that watched for free as they didnt re-broadcast it.

kings that gif in your sig is wonderful in so many ways.

bigbeastcardinal12 wrote:

How can they take legal action against me when I went to a site that had it on for free? I didn't do anything wrong, the person streaming is who they should be mad at.


BRING IT ZUFFA! I will eat you alive and get free PPV's for life for the mental stress alone. I have watched atleast 5 episodes of Perry Mason so they don't want none of me. I will bring Wolf in with me as my lawyer. Suck it DW!

From Wiki.

Possession of stolen goods is a crime in which an individual has bought, been given, or acquired stolen goods some other way.

In many countries, if an individual has accepted possession of goods or property and knew they were stolen, then the individual is typically charged with a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the value of the stolen goods. If the individual did not know the goods were stolen, then the goods are returned to the owner and the individual is not prosecuted. However, there are often exceptions, due to the difficulty of proving or disproving an individual's knowledge that the goods were stolen. .


Obviously the bold would be the crux of the case. And if they can trace u back to this site, your probably going to be convicted.

Interested to see the outcome to the first suits filed against the individuals.

OU wrote:

Interested to see the outcome to the first suits filed against the individuals.

Bigger problem with this tactic is: the amount of $$$ it will cost to hire lawyers in order to pursue a $50 stolen goods conviction.

Because of this, I think Kings is right, scare tactic.

captain organic wrote:

OU wrote:

Interested to see the outcome to the first suits filed against the individuals.

Bigger problem with this tactic is: the amount of $$$ it will cost to hire lawyers in order to pursue a $50 stolen goods conviction.

Because of this, I think Kings is right, scare tactic.

The UFC has no problem spending money...unless it's on fighters.

Don't create emails and accounts at illegally streamed websites dur. The way swim streams is overseas links from domains the gov cant even shut down where only swims ip could ever be traced, which makes it impossible to convict a specific user or human.

Most domestic streaming sites, the popular ones anyway, have been shut down already either by the government or by that guy in Chicago who ran 9 of them getting booked. I only know of two sites anymore that are reliable and they are both located overseas. That said, this is a small claims thing unless they can somehow prove you viewed enough illegal streams to be worth over $2500 which would have been 50 pay per view events.

captain organic wrote:

bigbeastcardinal12 wrote:

How can they take legal action against me when I went to a site that had it on for free? I didn't do anything wrong, the person streaming is who they should be mad at.


BRING IT ZUFFA! I will eat you alive and get free PPV's for life for the mental stress alone. I have watched atleast 5 episodes of Perry Mason so they don't want none of me. I will bring Wolf in with me as my lawyer. Suck it DW!

From Wiki.

Possession of stolen goods is a crime in which an individual has bought, been given, or acquired stolen goods some other way.

In many countries, if an individual has accepted possession of goods or property and knew they were stolen, then the individual is typically charged with a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the value of the stolen goods. If the individual did not know the goods were stolen, then the goods are returned to the owner and the individual is not prosecuted. However, there are often exceptions, due to the difficulty of proving or disproving an individual's knowledge that the goods were stolen. .


Obviously the bold would be the crux of the case. And if they can trace u back to this site, your probably going to be convicted.

I didn't know anything had been stolen and it was never in my posession??? It could've been a hacker and I am also incompetent your honor. Then I will slobber all over the place and ask for a chicken wing, cause my tummy hurts. Zuffa vs bbc12 thrown out.

If the UFC ever sued swim for illegal streaming that would suck major ass. Swim would file a counter suit seeking damages for the thousands swim spent on PPV's, and the hundreds at UFC.com advertised sports-bars where the fights didn't live up to the hype, under the grounds of false advertising. Swim would name fighters like Carlos Condit and Rashad Evans as co-defendants for their claims during the infomercials for the fights. Swim would play for the jury Diaz vs Condit, and would look to have the term "dogfight" legally defined.

Swim would also seek damages for pain and suffering for The Ultimate 2008(despite the legal situation with swims children, getting divorced, and that time as an eighth grader that a sixth grader straight power bombed swim into a pile of dogshit, only to be clotheslined by a girl as he tried to get to his feet, this day is still a contender for the worst day in history for swim), and all events involving former Pride fighters losing badly, especially to former TUF fighters.

This will just be UFC extorting people like so many other production companies do now. Zuffa vs 5,600 John Does. For the price of $5,000 they won't press charges against you.