1156/8/3/10 Virgin Media, Inc. v Office of Communications

Virgin Media, Inc. v Office of Communications

Case number:

1156/8/3/10 Registered: 28/5/2010

Tribunal:

Status:

Summary of appeal published on 8 June 2010. By an Order dated 8 June 2010, the time for making a request for permission to intervene was abridged until 21 June 2010.

A case management conference took place on 25 June 2010, at which RFL (Governing Body) Ltd, Top Up TV Europe Ltd, The Football Association Ltd, Freesat (UK) Ltd, Rugby Football Union, The Football League Ltd, PGA European Tour, England and Wales Cricket Board were granted permission to intervene. Virgin Media, Inc., The Football Association Premier League, British Sky Broadcasting Ltd and British Telecommunications plc were also granted permission to intervene in each of the appeals, save their own. The President’s Ruling in respect of certain requests for permission to intervene and the extent of the additional undertaking which the BT in-house lawyers should provide as a pre-condition of their membership of the proposed confidentiality ring was also handed down on 25 June 2010. The President also made an Order on 25 June 2010 establishing the timetable for the future course of the appeals.

On 29 June 2010 the President made an Order establishing a confidentiality ring for the exchange of confidential information between the external and certain internal advisers of all the parties.

A further case management conference took place on 6 October 2010 and a pre-hearing review took place on 23 March 2011. On 25 March 2011, the Tribunal ordered that Cases No. 1170/8/3/10 (“the STB appeal”) and 1179/8/3/11 (“the CAM appeal”) be heard together with Cases No. 1156-1159/3/3/10 (“the Pay TV appeals”) to the extent described in the Tribunal’s Order.

The appeals in Cases 1156/8/3/10, 1157/8/3/10, 1158/8/3/10 and 1159/8/3/10 were heard together between 9 May 2011 and 15 July 2011.

At a hearing on 8 August 2012, the Tribunal announced its judgment. Part of the judgment, comprising a non-confidential summary of the Tribunal’s principal findings and conclusions, has been made available pending submissions from the parties with regard to the maintenance of confidentiality and any consequential excisions. A non-confidential version of the judgment was published on 26 October 2012.

A hearing to consider certain matters consequential to the Tribunal’s judgment in the Pay TV appeals took place on 6 February 2013. On 7 February 2013, the Tribunal made a ruling refusing BT’s request for permission to appeal the Tribunal’s judgment of 8 August 2012.
The Tribunal's ruling in relation to certain consequential matters was handed down on 27 February 2013.

On 26 April 2013 the Court of Appeal made an order granting BT permission to appeal the Tribunal’s judgment of 8 August 2012.

A ruling in relation to costs applications by Sky and FAPL as well as the disposal of FAPL’s appeal was handed down on 9 May 2013.

Diary events for this case:

  • There are currently no forthcoming diary events for this case.
  • 25 Jun 2010 | 10.30am - Case management conference
  • 6 Oct 2010 | 2pm - Case management conference
  • 23 Mar 2011 | 2pm - Pre-hearing review
  • 27 May 2011 | 4pm - Case management conference
  • 9 May 2011 (time estimate of 9 weeks) | 10.30am - Hearing
  • 8 Aug 2012 | 4.30pm - Announcement of Judgment
  • 6 Feb 2013 | 10.30am - Hearing
  • 27 Feb 2013 | 1.55pm - Handing down - Ruling (Consequential matters)
  • 9 May 2013 | 3pm - Handing down - Ruling ((1) Costs and (2) Disposal of FAPL's appeal)

Case documents: