LEGAL ENTANGLEMENT:EXCLUSIVE RIGHT OVER DISSEMINATION OF INSTANTANEOUS UPDATES (LIVE SPORT EVENTS)

ABSTRACT The article revolves around the question of exclusive right relating to dissemination of instantaneous information i.e. live score updates by the organizers or broadcasters. Since such events require huge amounts of investments, it is but natural for the organizers to commercially exploit the event and reap profit out of it. The Media or Corporate houses, perceiving such events as an opportunity to do business started provide live score updates on commercial basis. The Organizers and the Broadcasters seeing such potential and interference of these corporate entities objects on the legitimacy of such business. They claimed paramount right over all match content and exclusive right to exploit the same by resorting to statutory law i.e. Copyright or common law rights i.e. Unjust Commercial Enrichment or Unfair Competition. However, Corporate Houses refute the said argument stating that they do not infringe these rights as they only disseminate the score updates not the audio and/or visual broadcast. The score updates are in the form of facts and information and thus cannot be protected. Thus, the entanglement is that how protection i.e. exclusive right can be claimed over such updates which are in the form of facts and information.