Police in Spain raid 2,000 bars and restaurants after La Liga complaints

NATIONAL POLICE have raided more than 2,000 bars, cafes and restaurants in a clampdown on the illegal showing of Spanish football matches.
Approximately 60 per cent of the establishments inspected were found to be showing televised La Liga matches without paying broadcasters the appropriate fee.
The most common method was to use a ‘vitamised’ decoder which bypasses the security features of TV broadcasters.
The investigation began at the end of November 2018 when legal representatives of La Liga denounced the owners of various hostelries in different parts of Spain for alleged crimes against intellectual property.
The Central Cybercrime Unit of the National Police coordinated the operation to check that ‘pirated’ broadcasts were not being used. Any ’illegal’ decoders found were disconnected and owners of the establishments summoned to a police station for a statement to be taken.