2012 Olympics telecast rights: ABU seeks time to file objections

By T. Farook Thajudeen

Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) sought time to file objections against the enjoining order obtained by Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) preventing the ABU from granting broadcasting rights of 30th Olympic Games within the territory of Sri Lanka to any other person other than Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.

Senior Counsel Harsha Amarasekera instructed by Kuma De Silva moved to grant time to the defendants ABU, Javad Mottagi and John Barton to file objections against SLRC for seeking a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from granting ‘Decrypt’ password or code to any person other than the plaintiff to enable to receive the telecommunication signals within Sri Lanka to transmit the Olympic Games.

Hence Commercial High Court Judge Gamini Amarasekera allowed the defendants to file objection on 6 June.

The petitioner’s Counsel Palitha Kumarasinghe PC instructed by Sanath Wijewardena earlier obtained an enjoining order preventing the ABU from granting broadcasting rights to any other person other than the plaintiff within the territory of Sri Lanka.

The plaintiff’s Counsel asserted that SLRC and defendant ABU had entered into an agreement in December 6, 2011 signed by Javad Motthaghi to provide exclusive broadcasting rights of the 30th Olympic Games to SLRC, within the territory of Sri Lanka. However the Sports Director of ABU John Barton had decided to pool the broadcasting of the events of the 30th Olympic Games with Carlton Sports Net Work and MTV/MBC Networks.

The Counsel submitted that since the plaintiff had obtained exclusive rights to broadcast the event of the 30th Olympic Games within Sri Lanka there cannot be a pool to broadcast the events as the defendants alleged.

The SLRC pleaded to issue a permanent injunction on the defendants on final determination of the case.