Albania

[AL] Shijak TV Ceases unauthorised Transmission of Football Matches

IRIS 2001-10:1/7

Hamdi Jupe

Albanian Media Monitoring Center

The stoppage immediately followed the decision of the Albanian Republic Court of Appeal confirming the decision of the Court of First Instance (No. 2822 of 23 July 2001, see IRIS 2001-9: 6) according to which Media + A.E, proprietor of Shijak TV, is obliged to pay compensation to Media 6, A.E, proprietor of the national broadcasting station Klan, estimated at USD 200 000.

After the decision of the Court of Appeal Gezim Ismaili, president and sole owner of Shijak TV, said that he will appeal to the High Court. He claimed that the Albanian law "On copyright", being the legal basis for the decisions of the courts against Shijak TV, does not include the transmission of football matches on television. He therefore asked the Albanian Parliament to revise the Law on Copyright.

Actually Albanian Copyright Law (No. 7564 of 19. May 1992) does not mention the right of transmission at all. The law was adopted in 1992 and until 1995, a period when there were no private television stations in Albania, had been changed several times.

The protection of copyright in the field of the audiovisual productions is an obligation derived from Albania's membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).