TV Signal Piracy Cases in Colorado

Throughout the state of Colorado attorneys Jacques S. Ruda and Robert O. Stapel of the law firm Girsh and Rottman, P.C. have filed many TV signal piracy lawsuits.  This practice has continued for years where small businesses are sued for allegedly showing pay-per-view TV programming without paying the correct commercial license fee.  These attorneys Jacques Ruda and Robert Stapel, based out of Denver, often work in connection with the Law Offices of Thomas P. Riley, PC regarding these claims.  The typical plaintiffs are J & J Sports Productions, Inc. or G & G Closed Circuit Events, LLC for boxing matches, and Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. for UFC fights.  

Attorney Matthew Pare is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado and has experience in defending TV piracy lawsuits throughout Colorado. The lawsuits in Colorado are usually filed in the state court system in the county courts but pursuant to 28 U.S.C. section 1441 and 28 U.S.C. section 1446 the cases can be removed to the U.S. District Court, which is what attorney Matthew Pare will do to defend the case in that venue.  Removing the case to the federal court system is the first step in the litigation strategy to defend a TV signal piracy case in Colorado that attorney Matthew Pare often takes in these cases.

Attorney Matthew Pare has had great success in defending TV piracy lawsuits in Colorado in particular when it comes to the statute of limitations.  In fact, attorney Matthew Pare established the precedent in that state regarding the statute of limitations that other courts have followed.  Because the federal TV signal piracy laws do not specify a statute of limitations period the courts must look to similar laws to borrow a statute of limitations period.  In doing so Matthew Pare has successfully argued that in Colorado the most similar statute is the Colorado Cable Piracy Statute, Colorado Rev. Stat. § 18-4-702(1)(a), which has a one-year statute of limitations as provided by Colorado Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103(1)(d).  Therefore, unless the plaintiff files the TV piracy lawsuit within one-year after the event was on TV in Colorado the claim will be time-barred.  

Establishing this statute of limitations precedent in Colorado was a huge victory for all small business owners and potential defendants in TV signal piracy cases throughout the state. Particularly given that it is now a very short statute of limitations on these claims, this is especially helpful to those restaurants, bars, and other business owners who are facing such a claim against them.  

Attorney Matthew Pare is ready to defend you as well.  He has the experience going up against Jacques Ruda, Robert Stapel, and Thomas Riley, and exceptionally successful results in Colorado.  Please call 619-869-4999 for a free initial consultation where you will speak directly with the attorney.

TV Signal Piracy