Ufc takes next step against illegal streams

[hungarian_boss]

Zuffa, LLC, (“Zuffa”), the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), announced Friday that it has served subpoenas on two streaming video websites, commanding them to reveal the identities of users who have uploaded video of live Pay-Per-View UFC events.

The websites, Justin.tv and Ustream.tv, enable anyone with an Internet connection to broadcast live streaming video to an unlimited audience. Although originally developed to bring user-generated content to a large live audience, these sites have been exploited by some users to broadcast illegally uploaded content, including UFC events.

For example, on Jan. 2, 2010, over 36,000 people watched a live streaming feed of the UFC 108 Pay-Per-View event that was uploaded from a single IP address. Less than two months later, on Feb. 21, 2010, that same IP address was used to upload multiple live streaming feeds of the UFC 110 Pay-Per-View event, which was watched by over 78,000 non-paying users. This piracy represents a significant loss of revenue to UFC and their mobile, online, cable and satellite distribution partners each year.

“I can’t wait to go after the thieves that are stealing our content,” said UFC President Dana White. “This is a fight we will not lose.”

Under §512(h) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a copyright owner can obtain a subpoena from a federal court ordering a service provider to disclose the identity of a subscriber who is allegedly engaging in infringing activities. The subpoenas served by Zuffa require Justin.tv and Ustream.tv to disclose information in their possession that Zuffa can use to identify those who have been pirating and rebroadcasting recent UFC events online. With this information in hand, Zuffa will prosecute civil actions against the individuals who have infringed Zuffa’s copyrights.

Zuffa is the largest provider of Pay-Per-View content in the world, and delivers exciting matches to fans in over 430 million households across 147 countries and territories. Zuffa encourages the development of new technology to deliver UFC content to licensed online platforms, mobile devices, and gaming systems. However, Zuffa does not condone the use of streaming video or other new technologies to violate intellectual property laws, and it will vigorously protect its copyrighted content against piracy in any medium.

Those who upload live UFC events as free streaming video harm UFC athletes, arena owners, and hard-working Zuffa employees who have transformed the once-obscure sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) into a successful professional sports organization. The UFC brand has created American jobs in the entertainment, fitness, and clothing industries. Zuffa will continue to fight on the cutting edge of copyright law to defend the intellectual property rights that support American economic growth.

Looks like justintv and ustream will be down for the next ppv. Those numbers are pretty big.

[HardGainer82]

Or they'll just keep cutting off the streams JUST as the main event starts lol

[Beasly3333]

What does this mean with Sopcast?

[hungarian_boss]

What does this mean with Sopcast?

Sopcast should be ok, as long as they don't stream from Justintv.
But then again, don't be surprised if Sopcast gets shut down.

[nodnarb481]

so you're only really in trouble if you upload the event or you are the host website?

[spiderman997]

so you're only really in trouble if you upload the event or you are the host website?

No way you could get in trouble for just watching a stream. I could just say that I was watching a dude dance around on webcam, and when I left the computer he started streaming a UFC event. It would be ridiculous to be charged for something like that.

[railgunner22]

Dana is gonna call a guy and shut the internet the fuk down.

[MUFC]

The internet cannot be defeated.

[Gizzyhardcore]

good stuff dana

the same peasants that want to stream it seem like the same douche bags that complain fighters don't get paid enough

seriously who can't afford to get some of their mates round and order the ppv?

[TheTheorist]

good stuff dana

the same peasants that want to stream it seem like the same douche bags that complain fighters don't get paid enough

The fighters that are underpaid don't get a cut of the PPV revenue. Payroll is usually less than the live gate itself. Your complaint here is invalid.

seriously who can't afford to get some of their mates round and order the ppv?

A lot of people.

[komrade]

But what if instead of streaming the PPV, they're streaming ESPN Live from UK (I think), where they get all UFC events for free.

[FX45]

I don't understand why anyone steals it anyways... every bar/pub shows it for free...

[hungarian_boss]

I don't understand why anyone steals it anyways... every bar/pub shows it for free...

Not around here.

[someonefat]

The internet cannot be defeated.

this

there no way to stop streams

[Suplexdeath]

I don't understand why anyone steals it anyways... every bar/pub shows it for free...

so why does it matter if we watch it off a stream instead of a bar


ok so i just wanted to clarify, the people watching live streams are safe right?

[Gomi]

But what if instead of streaming the PPV, they're streaming ESPN Live from UK (I think), where they get all UFC events for free.

where i go they charge 5$ but the point is for every TV that shows the even inside the bar, the bar has to pay a license fee, usually much more than the 50$ it costs at home. They make it up in drinks and food sales.

so why does it matter if we watch it off a stream instead of a bar


ok so i just wanted to clarify, the people watching live streams are safe right?

see above

[LastAffliction]

its not stealing if it is free.

example i can't take an item from walmart and walk out.. the buzzer will go off.. but nothing will happen and no one knows if I click a button..

[690]

its not stealing if it is free.

example i can't take an item from walmart and walk out.. the buzzer will go off.. but nothing will happen and no one knows if I click a button..

...



wut?

[theGuy045]

where i go they charge 5$ but the point is for every TV that shows the even inside the bar, the bar has to pay a license fee, usually much more than the 50$ it costs at home. They make it up in drinks and food sales.



see above

You think a bar pays 500$ to play the PPV on 10 tv's? ya right. I know that is false.

[conflictsd]

http://mmajunkie.com/news/17446/ufc-...iew-piracy.mma

Bars and clubs are usually charged between $500 and $1,500 to show UFC events, depending on the size of the businesses.


not sure if it's true though

[Black_Spit]

The fighters that are underpaid don't get a cut of the PPV revenue. Payroll is usually less than the live gate itself. Your complaint here is invalid.

Strong lack of understanding of how a business works.

Wal-Mart employees don't get a percentage of television sales either, but, if someone stole all of the tv's, there would be fewer bonuses paid out.

[Black_Spit]

You think a bar pays 500$ to play the PPV on 10 tv's? ya right. I know that is false.

It varies depending on the size of the business. Yes, they pay fees.

[youngphillip85]

You think a bar pays 500$ to play the PPV on 10 tv's? ya right. I know that is false.

I've heard some crazy **** like that before. A guy at Buffalo Wild Wings said the amount they have to pay for the PPV is related to their maximum occupancy. Which is why they only order the bigger draw events. (Again this is just what a waiter told me)

[gatsby121]

the guy uploading these events probably isnt dumb enough to do it off his ip, hes probably going through so many proxies that it will be impossible to find out who exactly is doing it.

[GBLynden]

Dana doesn't realize that the streams aren't hurting him that much. For the PPV's worth watching, most people will be willing to pay instead of watching a ****ty inconsistent stream. This helps keep the fighters more well known and allows for the MMA public to to grow without any significant investment.

[Blue Blazer]

He can't stop them all. And if he does...

We'll all watch at bars lol

[Gomi]

You think a bar pays 500$ to play the PPV on 10 tv's? ya right. I know that is false.

i didnt say anything about it being 500 a tv. i said its much more than the 50 at home, its a licensing fee, i didnt say they order a PPV for each tv. dont believe me? ask any bar that televises ufc events.

[bigsexxyy]

Dana doesn't realize that the streams aren't hurting him that much. For the PPV's worth watching, most people will be willing to pay instead of watching a ****ty inconsistent stream. This helps keep the fighters more well known and allows for the MMA public to to grow without any significant investment.

this guy actually has a very good point.

[TheTheorist]

Strong lack of understanding of how a business works.

Wal-Mart employees don't get a percentage of television sales either, but, if someone stole all of the tv's, there would be fewer bonuses paid out.

Stealing paid units is different than simply not buying because you are watching for free. Unsold Tvs cost walmart, unsold ppvs do not cost the UFC (they don't profit, but they don't *lose* money).

Walmart is a multi billion dollar entity. Stealing merchandise from an outlet isn't going to effect employee pay. Consequently, his point was more in line with "buying more tvs = more pay", which is totally false. Walmart employees have terrible pay (in a billion dollar + entity) because the company has all the leverage in dealing with labor. Same as the UFC.

Ergo, us not buying ppvs wouldn't effect fighter salaries since:

1) The UFC-Fighter dynamic remains unchanged in terms of who has leverage. I.e. nothing about having more money forces the UFC to pay more out.

2) Fighters get paid primarily out of live gates.

3) The UFC isn't struggling for profitability.

Your criticism is invalid.

[timeforsleeep]

He can't stop them all. And if he does...

We'll all watch at bars lol

watching @ a bar @least still supports the business since the bars have to pay the fees to play the events.