Source: European Parliament
The Commission recognises the importance of the fight against online piracy. In order to address the issues linked to the unauthorised retransmissions of live events, the Commission adopted, in May 2023 the recommendation on combating online piracy of sport and other live events[1].
The recommendation builds on existing EU legislation and provides indication on how the legal remedies available under EU law can be used to tackle the illegal retransmission of live events.
In particular, it encourages Member States to use dynamic injunctions to enable the blocking of pirate services, subject to certain safeguards.
The Commission and the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights in the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)[2] work closely to monitor the implementation of the recommendation and its effects on online piracy of sports and other live events.
No specific information is available at this stage on the effectiveness of the blocking measures implemented in certain Member States. The data collection exercise, based on key performance indicators[3] (KPIs) published following consultation with stakeholders, is ongoing.
These KPIs look at the volume of piracy by measuring the traffic to piracy websites, the prompt treatment of notices, the use of dynamic injunctions, and at the availability and affordability of legal offer.
By 17 November 2025, the Commission will assess the effects of the recommendation taking into account the results from the monitoring exercise.