The latest development in the BeoutQ piracy affair has seen the World Trade Organisation (WTO) approve Qatar’s request to establish a panel to rule on the case filed against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The decision was taken during a session of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), which took place on Tuesday in Geneva. The complaint – vocally supported by the European Union, Canada, China and other member states – highlighted the various violations committed by Saudi Arabia against the intellectual property (IP) rights of Qatari citizens and companies – most notably Doha-based BeIN Sports.
BeoutQ launched as a geo-blocked website available only in Saudi Arabia following the suspension of diplomatic relations between the country and Qatar in 2017.
The network initially targeted Qatar-backed broadcasting giant BeIN Sports, but the service has now developed into a sophisticated piracy operation, with set-top boxes available for purchase internationally providing streaming access to thousands of TV channels as well as live sport.
BeoutQ, which is transmitted on ten channels by Riyadh-based satellite operator Arabsat, came into the spotlight during the recent Fifa World Cup, when the service illegally showed the entire tournament without the rights to do so. It has also pirated coverage of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), Formula One, global tennis tournaments and various other flagship sports properties.
Qatar’s WTO complaint outlined Saudi Arabia’s violation of its obligations to provide protection for IP rights holders under international treaties, as the Saudi authorities have prevented the likes of BeIN from exercising its rights before law enforcement authorities in the country.
According to the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) procedures, if a WTO member raises a complaint, parties must enter a 60-day period of consultations in order to resolve the dispute among themselves before resorting to litigation.
In accordance with those procedures, Qatar has requested consultations with the Saudis through the DSB. However, Saudi Arabia has refused to engage in such consultations, violating the rules of the organisation under the pretext of preserving national security and reinforcing a stance the country reiterated in the wake of the WTO’s decision to establish a ruling panel for the case.
Of note is that the US has invoked this same defence in other trade cases it is facing at the WTO, including US steel and US aluminium tariff cases. As a result, the US supported the Saudi’s invoking of the defence at the WTO this week despite undermining its own industry, with BeoutQ pirating both NFL and the NBA content.
According to BeIN, legal experts have found no basis for using the pretext of national security to cover up IP rights piracy, particularly in relation to television broadcasting rights.
Sophie Jordan, executive director of legal affairs and general legal counsel of BeIN Media Group said: “Quite simply, this is about the international rule of law – BeoutQ has been committing a completely unprecedented and brazen theft of intellectual property over the past 18 months – affecting rights holders, broadcasters, movie studios and other stakeholders across the world of sports and entertainment. Those responsible for this Saudi-based pirate operation must be held to account. No one can be above the law.”
Back in Ocotber, BeIN itself launched a US$1 billion international investment arbitration against Saudi Arabia in what is thought to be the only known investment arbitration ever to be brought in connection with state-supported illegal broadcast piracy.
BeIN claims that it has suffered damages in excess of US$1 billion as a result of the discriminatory measures implemented by Saudi Arabia, which it says has included baseless competition law proceedings, ongoing harassment of its employees and disruption of the broadcaster’s major sporting events.
Saudi Arabia has long denied that it is behind BeoutQ, but BeIN announced in August that digital security, media solutions and technology companies Cisco Systems, Nagra and Overon had all investigated and confirmed that the piracy channel is being distributed on Riyadh-based satellite provider Arabsat.
The latest development in the BeoutQ piracy affair has seen the World Trade Organisation (WTO) approve Qatar’s request to establish a panel to rule on the case filed against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The decision was taken during a session of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), which took place on Tuesday in Geneva. The complaint highlighted the various violations committed by Saudi Arabia against the intellectual property (IP) rights of Qatari citizens and The decision was taken during a session of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), which took place on Tuesday in Geneva. The complaint – vocally supported by the European Union, Canada, China and other member states – highlighted the various violations committed by Saudi Arabia against the intellectual property (IP) rights of Qatari citizens and companies – most notably Doha-based BeIN Sports.
BeoutQ launched as a geo-blocked website available only in Saudi Arabia following the suspension of diplomatic relations between the country and Qatar in 2017.
The network initially targeted Qatar-backed broadcasting giant BeIN Sports, but the service has now developed into a sophisticated piracy operation, with set-top boxes available for purchase internationally providing streaming access to thousands of TV channels as well as live sport.
BeoutQ, which is transmitted on ten channels by Riyadh-based satellite operator Arabsat, came into the spotlight during the recent Fifa World Cup, when the service illegally showed the entire tournament without the rights to do so. It has also pirated coverage of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), Formula One, global tennis tournaments and various other flagship sports properties.
Qatar’s WTO complaint outlined Saudi Arabia’s violation of its obligations to provide protection for IP rights holders under international treaties, as the Saudi authorities have prevented the likes of BeIN from exercising its rights before law enforcement authorities in the country.
According to the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) procedures, if a WTO member raises a complaint, parties must enter a 60-day period of consultations in order to resolve the dispute among themselves before resorting to litigation.
In accordance with those procedures, Qatar has requested consultations with the Saudis through the DSB. However, Saudi Arabia has refused to engage in such consultations, violating the rules of the organisation under the pretext of preserving national security and reinforcing a stance the country reiterated in the wake of the WTO’s decision to establish a ruling panel for the case.
Of note is that the US has invoked this same defence in other trade cases it is facing at the WTO, including US steel and US aluminium tariff cases. As a result, the US supported the Saudi’s invoking of the defence at the WTO this week despite undermining its own industry, with BeoutQ pirating both NFL and the NBA content.
According to BeIN, legal experts have found no basis for using the pretext of national security to cover up IP rights piracy, particularly in relation to television broadcasting rights.
Sophie Jordan, executive director of legal affairs and general legal counsel of BeIN Media Group said: “Quite simply, this is about the international rule of law – BeoutQ has been committing a completely unprecedented and brazen theft of intellectual property over the past 18 months – affecting rights holders, broadcasters, movie studios and other stakeholders across the world of sports and entertainment. Those responsible for this Saudi-based pirate operation must be held to account. No one can be above the law.”
Back in Ocotber, BeIN itself launched a US$1 billion international investment arbitration against Saudi Arabia in what is thought to be the only known investment arbitration ever to be brought in connection with state-supported illegal broadcast piracy.
BeIN claims that it has suffered damages in excess of US$1 billion as a result of the discriminatory measures implemented by Saudi Arabia, which it says has included baseless competition law proceedings, ongoing harassment of its employees and disruption of the broadcaster’s major sporting events.
Saudi Arabia has long denied that it is behind BeoutQ, but BeIN announced in August that digital security, media solutions and technology companies Cisco Systems, Nagra and Overon had all investigated and confirmed that the piracy channel is being distributed on Riyadh-based satellite provider Arabsat.
European Union, Canada, China and other member states
