December 23 – A commercial court in A Coruña has ordered the Roja Driecta website’s parent company, Puerto 80 Projects, and its director, Igor Seoane, to pay €31.6 million in damages to MediaPro Group for illegally pirating football broadcasts, including matches LaLiga from the 2014/15 season.
The court found Puerto 80 and Seoane jointly and severally liable for €15.8 million of the total losses. The calculation is based on the amount a company must pay for authorized access to MediaPro Group broadcast signals. The decision comes nearly a decade after legal proceedings against the site began, marking a landmark victory for intellectual property rights in football.
The Supreme Court has ruled in 2022 that Puerto 80 Projects and Seoane are responsible for Roja Directa’s widespread piracy of LaLiga matches. The website, which operates in Spain, provides free streaming of illegal premium sports content, including Spanish league matches, thereby generating huge advertising revenues. A judicial report revealed that just one Puerto 80 account generated more than €11 million.
While fans stream for free, Puerto 80 monetizes it through advertising and referral commissions from sportsbook platforms. Now, with this €31.6 million valuation, the losses from piracy are finally coming to the company’s expense.
Seoane not only faces financial consequences – she also faces criminal penalties. MediaPro Group and LaLiga are demanding a six-year prison sentence for Seoane, while prosecutors are seeking a four-year prison sentence.
The charges stem from ongoing intellectual property violations and profits pocketed from Roja Directa’s illegal activities.
To prepare for future obligations, Puerto 80 has been ordered to deposit a €4 million bond. Despite court efforts to crack down, Roja Directa continues its illicit operations outside of Spain, highlighting the global challenges in curbing digital piracy.
For years, Roja Directa epitomized the murky world of illegal sports streaming. Now, with the site closed in Spain and its administrators facing huge fines and possible prison sentences, the case underscores the enormous struggle in enforcing intellectual property rights.
Contact the author of this story, Harry Ewing, at strength.l1734967384Labto1734967384ofdlr1734967384late1734967384sni@g1734967384there he is.1734967384yrrah1734967384
Gaming Hub
A gaming hub can refer to a central platform or space dedicated to gaming, where players can access games, interact with other gamers, and enjoy related content. Here are a few different kinds of gaming hubs you might be referring to:
Physical Gaming Hubs:
Gaming Cafés: Physical locations where players can rent time on high-end gaming PCs or consoles to play popular multiplayer or single-player games.
Esports Arenas: Specialized venues for competitive gaming tournaments where players or teams face off in games like League of Legends, CS
, or Fortnite.
Digital Gaming Hubs:
Steam, Epic Games Store, or GOG: Digital storefronts where you can purchase and play games, join online communities, and access updates and patches.
Game Launchers: Platforms like Steam, Blizzard’s Battle.net, and Xbox Game Pass often act as hubs where gamers can access multiple titles and keep track of their library.
Cloud Gaming Platforms: Services like NVIDIA GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming that allow players to stream games on various devices without needing high-end hardware.
Social/Community Gaming Hubs:
Discord Servers: Dedicated communities for games where players can chat, share tips, and find others to play with.
Reddit Communities: Subreddits dedicated to specific games or gaming news.
Gaming Consoles as Hubs:
Systems like the PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch act as central hubs for playing games, interacting with friends, and even streaming content like Netflix or Twitch.
If you meant something specific by “gaming hub,” let me know and I can elaborate further!
