A publican convicted of breaking the law by using a Greek satellite decoder to screen English Premier League football matches asked the High Court yesterday to rule in a test case that she did not commit a crime.

Karen Murphy, who runs the Red, White and Blue pub in Southsea, Hampshire, was convicted under laws designed to prevent criminal copyright theft. The FA Premier League claims that pubs cannot screen matches without a valid agreement with BSkyB, in which News Corporation, parent company of The Times, has a 39.1 per cent stake. The league has a £1.2 billion deal with BSkyB for exclusive broadcasting rights in Britain.

Ms Murphy bought a dish, decoder and card that enabled her to receive games from the Greek station Nova for £800, compared with BSkyB’s £6,000 annual fee. The league used a company called Media Protection Services to take out a private prosecution against Ms Murphy, and other publicans. In January she was convicted of criminal copyright theft and the conviction was upheld on appeal. She renewed her appeal yesterday at the High Court in London.

The hearing continues.

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