A Rochester, New York, bar and its owner “willfully engaged” in wrongful acts when they intercepted the June 2021 pay-per-view broadcast Gervonta Davis vs. Mario Barrios boxing match, alleged Joe Hand Promotions’ Communications Act complaint Tuesday (docket 6:24-cv-06397) in U.S. District Court for Western New York. William Burke-Mattis, owner of the Side Bar lounge, knew or should have known that the broadcast's interception and exhibition weren't “properly authorized,” said the complaint. The broadcast wasn’t for private viewing, nor was it for residential, noncommercial purposes, it said. The bar sold food and drinks during the broadcast, and the public display of the program was to entice patrons to the establishment to spend money while viewing it, it said. Burke-Mattis intentionally pirated the program for his own economic gain, while other establishments paid substantial sums for the proper commercial sublicense to show the broadcast legitimately to their customers, the complaint said. It seeks maximum damages of up to $170,000 for each willful violation of Section 605 or Section 553 of the Communications Act.

A Queens, New York, hookah lounge and its owners “willfully engaged” in wrongful acts when they intercepted the pay-per-view broadcast of the Sept. 30 boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and Jermell Charlo, alleged Joe Hand Promotions’ Communications Act complaint Thursday (docket 1:24-cv-04357) in U.S. District Court for Eastern New York in Brooklyn. Eynat Haroche Ipanaque and Emil Azer, owners of the Spot Hookah Lounge in the Astoria section of Queens, knew or should have known that the interception and exhibition of the broadcast weren't “properly authorized,” said the complaint. The broadcast wasn’t for private viewing, nor was it for residential, noncommercial purposes, it said. The lounge sold food and drinks during the broadcast, and the public display of the program was to entice patrons to the establishment to spend money while viewing it, it said. The owners intentionally pirated the program for their own economic gain, while other establishments paid substantial sums for the proper commercial sublicense to show the broadcast legitimately to their customers, the complaint said. It seeks maximum damages of up to $160,000 for each willful violation of Section 605 or Section 553 of the Communications Act.

An El Paso bar and lounge and its owner “willfully engaged” in wrongful acts when they intercepted the pay-per-view broadcast of the July 2021 Ultimate Fighting Championship bout between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor for free, alleged Joe Hand Promotions’ Communications Act complaint Tuesday (docket 3:24-cv-00209) in U.S. District Court for Western Texas in El Paso. Wesley Dorman, owner of Chuco Cigars, knew or should have known that the interception and exhibition of the broadcast weren't “properly authorized,” said the complaint. The broadcast wasn’t for private viewing, nor was it for residential, noncommercial purposes, it said. The lounge sold food and drinks during the broadcast, and the public display of the program was to entice patrons to the establishment to spend money while viewing it, it said. Dorman intentionally pirated the program for his own economic gain, while other establishments paid substantial sums for the proper commercial sublicense to show the broadcast legitimately to their customers, the complaint said. It seeks maximum damages of $160,000 for each willful violation of Section 605 or Section 553 of the Communications Act.

An Abilene, Texas, bar and its owner “willfully engaged” in wrongful acts when they intercepted the pay-per-view broadcast of the July 2021 Ultimate Fighting Championship bout between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor for free, alleged Joe Hand Promotions’ Communications Act complaint Monday (docket 1:24-cv-00092) in U.S. District Court for Northern Texas in Abilene. Elvin Chew, owner of the Whiskey Girl, knew or should have known that the interception and exhibition of the broadcast weren't “properly authorized,” said the complaint. The broadcast wasn’t for private viewing, nor was it for residential, noncommercial purposes, it said. The bar sold food and drinks during the broadcast, and the public display of the program was to entice patrons to the establishment to spend money while viewing it, it said. Chew intentionally pirated the program for his own economic gain, while other establishments paid substantial sums for the proper commercial sublicense to show the broadcast legitimately to their customers, the complaint said. It seeks maximum damages of $100,000 for each willful violation of Section 605 of the Communications Act, or alternatively, the maximum of $50,000 for each willful violation of Section 553.

A Columbia, Kentucky, burger restaurant pirated the April 13 pay-per-view broadcast of the Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill Ultimate Fighting Championship bout, alleged UFC owner Zuffa in a Communications Act complaint Friday (docket 1:24-cv-00081) in U.S. District Court for Western Kentucky in Bowling Green. Thrasher advertised the broadcast for at least three days on the establishment’s Facebook page, together with offers of discounted beers and food, said the complaint. Owner Jason Thrasher and Hooligan Burger, “jointly and severally, received a commercial benefit by commercially promoting a fight night without having commercial exhibition rights and without paying the commercial licensing fee,” it said. For anyone to obtain the broadcast through a website intended for private, noncommercial viewing, “an individual purchaser would be provided with terms of service which specifically provide for non-commercial, personal use only,” it said. With full knowledge that the broadcast wasn’t to be received and exhibited by entities unauthorized to do so, Thrasher and Hooligan Burger unlawfully intercepted, received and descrambled the UFC encrypted signal and exhibited the broadcast at the establishment, it said. They did so “for purposes of direct or indirect commercial advantage or private financial gain,” it said.

The owners of a Wylie, Texas, cafe willfully engaged in wrongful acts when they intercepted the July 2021 pay-per-view broadcast of the Ultimate Fighting Championship bout between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, a Communications Act complaint from Joe Hand Promotions alleged Thursday (docket 4:24-cv-00530) in U.S. District Court for Eastern Texas in Sherman. Tony Ltaif and Rafat Hamam, owners of Hookah House, knew or should have known that intercepting the broadcast for free and exhibiting it at their restaurant wasn’t “properly authorized,” the complaint said. The broadcast wasn’t for private viewing, nor was it for residential, noncommercial purposes, it said. Hookah House sold food and drinks during the broadcast, and the program's public display was meant to entice restaurant patrons to spend money while viewing it, the complaint said. The owners intentionally pirated the program for their "economic gain,” it said. Joe Hand Promotions seeks maximum damages of $110,000 for the willful violation of sections 605 and 553 of the Communications Act.

A Brooklyn, N.Y., restaurant owner willfully engaged in wrongful acts by intercepting the May 2022 pay-per-view broadcast of the Gervonta Davis vs. Rolando Romero lightweight boxing match, a Communications Act complaint from G & G Closed Circuit Events alleged Wednesday (docket 1:24-cv-04191) in U.S. District Court for Eastern New York in Brooklyn. Torri Clayton, owner of Cheri’s Bedstuy, knew or should have known that intercepting the broadcast for free and exhibiting it at the restaurant wasn’t properly authorized, the complaint said. The broadcast wasn’t for private viewing, nor was it for residential, noncommercial purposes, it said. Cheri’s Bedstuy sold food and drinks during the broadcast, and the program's public display was meant to entice restaurant patrons to spend money while viewing it, the complaint said. Clayton intentionally pirated the program for personal economic gain, it said. The commercial fee for an establishment the size of Cheri’s Bedtuy to receive the broadcast legally was $600, but neither Clayton nor the establishment paid such a fee, said the complaint. G & G seeks maximum damages of $170,000 for the willful violation of sections 605 and 553 of the Communications Act.

Owners of a San Antonio restaurant willfully engaged in wrongful acts when they intercepted the July 2021 pay-per-view broadcast of the Ultimate Fighting Championship bout between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, a Communications Act complaint from Joe Hand Promotions alleged Monday (docket 5:24-cv-00648) in U.S. District Court for Western Texas. The owners of The Champagne Room -- Felipe Carstens, Andrew Gagne and Jennifer Rodriguez -- knew or should have known that intercepting the broadcast for free and exhibiting it at their restaurant wasn’t “properly authorized,” the complaint said. The broadcast wasn’t for private viewing, nor was it for residential, noncommercial purposes, it said. The Champagne Room sold food and drinks during the broadcast, and the program's public display was meant to entice restaurant patrons to spend money while viewing it, the complaint said. The owners intentionally pirated the program for their "economic gain,” it said. Joe Hand Promotions seeks maximum damages of $100,000 for the willful violation of Section 605 of the Communications Act, or alternatively, the maximum of $50,000 for the willful violation of Section 553.

A McAllen, Texas, restaurant owner willfully engaged in wrongful acts when he intercepted the July 2021 pay-per-view broadcast of the Ultimate Fighting Championship bout between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor for free while legitimate establishments paid substantially more for the proper commercial sublicense to show the broadcast to their patrons, alleged Joe Hand Promotions’ Communications Act complaint Monday (docket 7:24-cv-00232) in U.S. District Court for Southern Texas in McAllen. Owner Reynaldo Ramos knew or should have known that the interception and exhibition of the broadcast at his Taqueria El Paisano restaurant wasn’t “properly authorized,” said the complaint. The broadcast wasn’t for private viewing, nor was it for residential, noncommercial purposes, it said. Ramos’ establishment sold food and drinks during the broadcast, and the program's public display was to entice patrons to the establishment to spend money while viewing it, it said. Ramos intentionally pirated the program “for the purpose of his own economic gain,” it said. The complaint seeks maximum damages of $100,000 for the willful violation of Section 605 of the Communications Act, or alternatively, the maximum of $50,000 for the willful violation of Section 553.

A Baltimore nightclub and its owner “willfully engaged” in wrongful acts when they intercepted four pay-per-view boxing and Ultimate Fighting Championship broadcasts in June 2021 for free, alleged Joe Hand Promotions’ Communications Act complaint Thursday (docket 1:24-cv-01633) in U.S. District Court for Maryland. Tisha Powell, owner of the Oasis Night Club, knew or should have known that the interception and exhibition of the broadcasts wasn’t “properly authorized,” said the complaint. The broadcasts weren’t for private viewing, nor were they for residential, noncommercial purposes, it said. The nightclub sold food and drinks during the broadcasts, and the public display of the programs was to entice patrons to the establishment to spend money while viewing it, it said. Powell intentionally pirated the program for her own economic gain, while other establishments paid substantial sums for the proper commercial sublicense to show the broadcasts legitimately to their patrons, it said. The complaint seeks maximum damages of $110,000 for each willful violation of Section 605 of the Communications Act, or alternatively, the maximum of $60,000 for each willful violation of Section 553.