The EPL claimed a Saudi government-owned satellite firm is "linked to the illegal screening of Premier League football matches" across MENA, according to Patrick Wintour of the London GUARDIAN. The Premier League said that it has "compelling evidence of the year-long piracy operation." The league said in a statement issued on Tuesday that it "appointed legal counsel in Saudi Arabia to prevent the theft of its intellectual property rights, threatened to bring legal action" and "complained to the European commission." Qatar has been "battling for months to persuade" FIFA and UEFA that an illegal pirate channel called "beoutQ" is being hosted in Riyadh by Arabsat, a company in which the Saudi government is the largest shareholder. In a "major breakthrough" in Qatar's battle to protect its rights, the Premier League said in a statement that it "strongly condemns the illegal broadcast piracy of its matches currently taking place in Saudi Arabia and available in multiple territories throughout the Middle East by an illegal pirate channel called 'beoutQ.' All 20 Premier League matches played during the first two weekends of the season were broadcast illegally on the channel." The Premier League added that it "has seen compelling evidence demonstrating 'beoutQ' is a highly sophisticated pirate operation which has used the services of satellite provider Arabsat to distribute the illegal content." Private sector investors judging whether to invest in Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's "elaborate plans" to modernize his country will be watching to see if he is "willing to put established international law on intellectual property ahead of his ambitions to weaken the Qatar royal family" (GUARDIAN, 8/21).
