Despite the losing streak, rightsholders subsequently convinced the Department of Homeland Security to seize two of Rojadirecta\u2019s domain names; under mounting legal pressure, DHS eventually\u00a0gave them back<\/a>. A shifting legal landscape and unwavering rightsholder pressure ensured that successive wins like these would soon become a thing of the past.<\/p>\n In 2016, Puerto 80 Projects SL \u2013 the Spanish company behind Rojadirecta \u2013 was found liable for violating the intellectual property rights of broadcaster Mediapro. Rojadirecta\u2019s subsequent appeal failed in 2018, effectively ending the site\u2019s ability to service any further visitors from Spain.<\/p>\n Despite landing a significant win, Mediapro wasn\u2019t entirely happy with the outcome. The Commercial Court of A Coru\u00f1a ruled that liability for Rojadirecta\u2019s infringement lay with Puerto 80 Projects SL, a company run by Igor Seoane, the man who had operated Rojadirecta from the very beginning. With piracy battles becoming ever more bitter, Mediapro wanted to see Seoane personally on the hook.<\/p>\n In 2022, Mediapro\u2019s persistence paid off. Spain\u2019s Supreme Court ruled that Puerto 80 Projects SL, and company owner\/Rojadirecta operator Igor Seoane, could be held jointly liable.<\/p>\n Commercial Court No. 2 of A Coru\u00f1a has now determined the amount of compensation to be paid to Mediapro, for infringement carried out a decade ago during the 2014\/2015 football season.<\/p>\n With the commercial entity and its owner confirmed liable, the Court has ordered Puerto 80 and owner Seoane to pay Mediapro 31.6 million euros (US$33m), with Puerto 80 and Seoane jointly liable for 15.6 million euros (US$16.3m) of the total award.<\/p>\n Believed to be the most significant award ever handed down in a Spanish case of its kind, the figure is said to represent how much it would\u2019ve cost to obtain a license to show the content legally.<\/p>\n Rojadirecta has been facilitating access to unlicensed content in Spain for almost 20 years, primarily through links that allow users to watch live sports content that\u2019s ordinarily available on pay TV platforms in exchange for a fee.<\/p>\n On the consumer side, Rojadirecta has always been available for free, something that undoubtedly plays a significant part in its enduring popularity even today. It\u2019s alleged that Puerto 80\u2019s business model has generated millions of euros from both regular advertising and affiliate commissions earned by diverting visitors to sports betting websites.<\/p>\n In parallel, Puerto 80 and Igor Seoane are also fighting a criminal prosecution pursued by Mediapro and LaLiga. The companies claim that Seoane continues to unlawfully benefit from ongoing infringement by providing access to illegal streams via Rojadirecta.<\/p>\n The matter is still in its early stages but with a demand for a four-year prison sentence, the prosecutor clearly means business. Mediapro and LaLiga are demanding a six-year prison sentence, alleging that Rojadirecta continues to operate illegally outside Spain.<\/p>\n Puerto 80 and its owner should have deposited a bond of 4.15 million euros to cover future liabilities, the prosecutor said, noting the \u2018special economic significance\u2019 of the profits and damages alleged in the case.<\/p>\n Citing expert reports from 2022,\u00a0ElMundo<\/a>\u00a0reports that in 2022, just one of the company\u2019s accounts reportedly showed income of more than 11 million euros.<\/p>\n According to an ABC report (paywall<\/a>), a then 21-year-old Seoane was inspired to launch Rojadirecta one afternoon; he wanted to watch his team (Barca) play but didn\u2019t really feel like going to the bar where pay-per-view events are often shown. \u201cThere has to be another way to do it,\u201d he thought.<\/p>\n Two decades later, ABC notes that Seoane \u2013 who speaks English, Portuguese, and Galician fluently, and is able to \u201cget by\u201d in French and Italian \u2013 is rarely seen in public, except during various Rojadirecta-related trials he has to attend.<\/p>\n \u201cIn some of them he has appeared disguised, with a showy curly wig and glasses. Thus, he has been described as the \u2018Galician without a face\u2019, an anonymity that gave rise to various myths about his place of residence, among some Internet users who considered him a kind of \u2018Robin Hood\u2019, capable of bringing football back to its fans.\u201d<\/p>\n Source: \u00a0Mediapro Delivers a Significant Blow<\/h2>\n
Supreme Court Confirms Joint Liability<\/h2>\n
Mediapro Welcomes Decision<\/h2>\n
Criminal Prosecution For Same Conduct<\/h2>\n
Rojadirecta Was Created to Solve a Problem<\/h2>\n
![\"TorrentFreak\"](\"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/torrentfreak.png\")
<\/a> TorrentFreak.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"