Blokes Who Filmed Mundine-Green Fight Get Slap On The Wrist

Punishment is in


Article heading image for Blokes Who Filmed Mundine-Green Fight Get Slap On The Wrist

(Image: YouTube)

Foxtel won't sue two men who live-streamed a blockbuster boxing bout between Anthony Mundine and Danny Green on Facebook.

Hundreds of thousands of people tuned into the social media feeds of Brett Hevers and Darren Sharpe, who'd purchased a pass for Foxtel's Main Event channel.

Mr Sharpe recorded a video of a Foxtel representative calling him to tell him to cease the broadcast.

"I think I've got the right to do it, I paid for it," Mr Sharpe told Foxtel in the video.

Foxtel had earlier considered legal action.

But it decided to make the pair issue apologies on their Facebook pages "in the hopes that more people will learn that copyright theft is not a victimless crime and something that should be taken very seriously", Foxtel chief Peter Tonagh said in a statement.

Mr Tonagh said illegal streaming and file sharing impacts the entire industry, threatens the livelihoods of those working in it.

"In addition, if revenue opportunities are undermined sports fans will suffer as sports presenters and promoters will have difficulty affording the costs of staging these fights and other events."

Mr Hevers and Mr Sharpe, who are now friends on Facebook, posted nearly identical apologies last week.

Both said sorry to Mundine, Green, Foxtel, the event promoters, the boxing community, and everyone who paid to view the fight.

The men raised thousands of dollars in case they were sued by the pay TV company.

Both say those funds have been donated to charity but declined to name which charities.

"The intended foundation was worried about bad press... therefore I cannot publicly post about them," Mr Hevers said.

"However, if you donated, I'm happy to send a copy of the receipt."

-AAP

13 February 2017




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