Hong Kong– Three Hong Kong bars have settled High Court lawsuits for illegally broadcasting the World Cup football tournament in June last year. The bars, Carnegies, the Bridge and the Coyote Bar & Grill, located in Wanchai, made out of court settlements with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and local pay-TV operator Hong Kong Cable Television Limited (Cable TV). The defendants paid “substantial compensation” to the plaintiffs for infringing copyright and covered the plaintiff’s legal costs and placement of apology letters. In addition, 2 other bars, The White Stag and Devil’s Advocate still have outstanding copyright claims against them. Speaking on behalf of the plaintiffs, the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) welcomed the decision. CASBAA’s CEO Simon Twiston Davies noted that the Hong Kong Courts have continually emphasized the importance of intellectual property laws for broadcasters and the community at large and hopes the cases can deliver a clear message to the food and beverage industry that copyright must be “determinedly respected at all times”.