Tribune News Network
DOHA
beIN Media Group CEO Yousef al Obaidly urged Serie A to switch the Italian Super Cup final match from Jeddah as the host country has been actively supporting the plague of piracy against the world sports.
Obaidly wrote a letter to Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo on Wednesday to change the venue of the January 16 final between Juventus and AC Milan.
The World Trade Organisation has already launched an investigation into Saudi Arabia’s violation of intellectual property rights. beoutQ has been committing a completely unprecedented and brazen theft of intellectual property over the past 18 months - affecting rights holders, broadcasters, and other stakeholders across the world of sports and entertainment.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called the holding match in Saudi Arabia ‘disgusting’ due to the restrictions placed on female fans.
Italy’s former Minister of Sport, Luca Lotti has added his voice to the growing calls to stop the match in Jeddah by saying "The decision to play the Italian Supercup in Saudi Arabia must be blocked immediately... What happened in the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul cannot be passed over in silence.”
Amnesty International said recently about Saudi Arabia, "Even before the horrific killing of Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia had a truly appalling human rights record.” Also women’s rights groups, associations for the protection of journalists, and sports fans are also demanding action and sanctions against Saudi Arabia.
Obaidly, who had written to Serie A in December as well, wrote in his latest letter: "Our chief concern, however, as a global sports and entertainment broadcaster, is very simple. Saudi Arabia has been actively supporting a plague of piracy on world sports and entertainment for over 18 months, which is undermining the long-term commercial prospects of Serie A and rights holders worldwide.
"Furthermore, the MENA regions is one of the world’s most important and fastest growing markets for sports and live entertainment and unless Saudi Arabia’s attempt to undermine the rule of law is addressed, it will fatally damage one of Serie A’s most important sources of revenue growth.”
The beIN Media Group CEO also wrote, "We’ve also received reports of beoutQ being openly accessed in London, Geneva, Florida and continuing to spread. This content has not only been brazenly stolen from beIN SPORTS but from broadcasters such as NBCUniverseal and your UK broadcast partner ELEVEN SPORTS. We’ve provided to you comprephensive, incontrovertible and independent third party evidence of where beoutQ is based and who is behind it.”
"While (Gaetano) Micciche (Serie A Preisident) has said in his recent statement that the match in Jeddah will promote ‘Made in Italy’ and its values, the match in fact serves merely as promotion of ‘Stolen by Saudi Arabia’ and the endorsement of such a flagrant daily breach of international norms and the rule of law.
"If the game goes ahead, Serie A will have failed to uphold its duty to its member clubs and the wider sporting community, including other major international leagues whose intellectual property rights and revenue streams are threatened by beoutQ’s actions,” Obaidly noted.
DOHA
beIN Media Group CEO Yousef al Obaidly urged Serie A to switch the Italian Super Cup final match from Jeddah as the host country has been actively supporting the plague of piracy against the world sports.
Obaidly wrote a letter to Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo on Wednesday to change the venue of the January 16 final between Juventus and AC Milan.
The World Trade Organisation has already launched an investigation into Saudi Arabia’s violation of intellectual property rights. beoutQ has been committing a completely unprecedented and brazen theft of intellectual property over the past 18 months - affecting rights holders, broadcasters, and other stakeholders across the world of sports and entertainment.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called the holding match in Saudi Arabia ‘disgusting’ due to the restrictions placed on female fans.
Italy’s former Minister of Sport, Luca Lotti has added his voice to the growing calls to stop the match in Jeddah by saying "The decision to play the Italian Supercup in Saudi Arabia must be blocked immediately... What happened in the consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul cannot be passed over in silence.”
Amnesty International said recently about Saudi Arabia, "Even before the horrific killing of Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia had a truly appalling human rights record.” Also women’s rights groups, associations for the protection of journalists, and sports fans are also demanding action and sanctions against Saudi Arabia.
Obaidly, who had written to Serie A in December as well, wrote in his latest letter: "Our chief concern, however, as a global sports and entertainment broadcaster, is very simple. Saudi Arabia has been actively supporting a plague of piracy on world sports and entertainment for over 18 months, which is undermining the long-term commercial prospects of Serie A and rights holders worldwide.
"Furthermore, the MENA regions is one of the world’s most important and fastest growing markets for sports and live entertainment and unless Saudi Arabia’s attempt to undermine the rule of law is addressed, it will fatally damage one of Serie A’s most important sources of revenue growth.”
The beIN Media Group CEO also wrote, "We’ve also received reports of beoutQ being openly accessed in London, Geneva, Florida and continuing to spread. This content has not only been brazenly stolen from beIN SPORTS but from broadcasters such as NBCUniverseal and your UK broadcast partner ELEVEN SPORTS. We’ve provided to you comprephensive, incontrovertible and independent third party evidence of where beoutQ is based and who is behind it.”
"While (Gaetano) Micciche (Serie A Preisident) has said in his recent statement that the match in Jeddah will promote ‘Made in Italy’ and its values, the match in fact serves merely as promotion of ‘Stolen by Saudi Arabia’ and the endorsement of such a flagrant daily breach of international norms and the rule of law.
"If the game goes ahead, Serie A will have failed to uphold its duty to its member clubs and the wider sporting community, including other major international leagues whose intellectual property rights and revenue streams are threatened by beoutQ’s actions,” Obaidly noted.