According to a report by the digital news site Eldiario.es, La Liga is using the mobile phones of millions of football fans to monitor bars and public spaces for pirated football broadcasts. La Liga EA Sports is the Spanish football league’s top men’s professional football division. The league’s app uses a very sophisticated Anti-Piracy Technology. The app has a massive download of over 10 million installations. It accesses mobile phone microphones during live football matches to detect unauthorized transmissions.

The app also uses geolocation data to pinpoint the users’ locations. Users who download the app grant La Liga permission to access their phones by agreeing to its terms and conditions. In a statement, La Liga explained that the sound captured through the microphone is converted into a binary code signal used to detect piracy. The app is currently only operational in Spain and specifically aims to combat piracy in public venues. La Liga estimates that piracy in such locations results in around €150 million annual losses.

Although not yet in the United States, new anti-piracy technology is being used to detect unlicensed public screenings of pay-per-view events. If you own a bar or restaurant and have received a demand letter alleging copyright infringement, you will need a skilled lawyer familiar with the evidence a Pay-per-View company may have.

If you need assistance, please call the Wright Law Firm at (212) 619-1500.