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Publicans that illegally screen Sky TV face huge fines and even having their licence suspended.
The Morning Advertiser reports that Gordon Leslie Hall, landlord of the Britania Public House in Oldham, has been fined £1,000, had his licence suspended for seven days and ordered to pay costs.
Mr Hall had been showing Sky using a domestic contract, rather than a more expensive commercial contract.
The website also reveals that another publican, Brian Easton of the Golden Lion in London Colney, was ordered pay a total of £10,000 for a similar offence. This included £8,000 in compensation to the satellite broadcaster.
Speaking to the website Stephen Gerrards, prosecuting manager for the Federation Against Copyright Theft, said: "Case after case demonstrates how we are successfully pursuing and prosecuting those licensees who are fraudulently showing Sky programmes in their premises."
In December the Morning Advertiser reported that the high court ruled that the use of foreign satellite systems to show English Premier League football games was illegal.
