In a surprising development, Tel Aviv District Court Judge, Michal Agmon Gonen, has refused to grant an injunction to the UK Premier League, to prevent illicit web-casting of football matches, instead deferring to the Legal advisor to the government, asking for guidelines.
If the judge believes that the identity of anonymous content rehashers is sacrosanct, she should order ISP to block access to infringing websites. They do not need to police the net, merely act when an injunction is brought.
With little legal basis under the old Copyright Ordinance, the High Court ruled in TeleEvent, that sport was copyright, seeing creativity in camera editing, etc., thereby preventing broadcasting of sport under the old copyright ordinance. There is no reason I can see why a judge should find trouble ruling in this case. The new rule is not a radical departure from the previous state of affairs. A judge unwilling to rule on cases before her, should resign.
If anything, this case is further evidence that a specialist IP court should be established.
