Italy's parliament backs tougher rules against TV piracy

ROME, July 12 (Reuters) - Italy's upper house Senate on Wednesday unanimously backed a law to crack down on the broadcast of copyright-protected content via unauthorised pirate networks, in a move that pleased the country's soccer clubs.

The law enables Italy's communication watchdog (AGCOM) to swiftly suppress pirate streaming channels with a focus on live events, including sports. It will be possible to block illegal platforms within 30 minutes of the watchdog issuing an order.

Sports video service DAZN -- the main rights holder for live matches in Italy's top-flight Serie A soccer league -- said last month that illegal access to live sport streaming events were costing the industry some 290 million euros ($321 million) annually.

"This is a key measure to protect copyright and finally black out pirate sites in a timely manner," Serie A President Lorenzo Casini said in a statement.

"It comes at an important stage in negotiations for the allocation of television rights to our league," he added.

Serie A is currently negotiating a new deal for TV rights after collecting some 930 million euros per season in the three-year cycle ending in June 2024.

Broadcasters and Serie A had urged Italy to pass tougher legislation on piracy, which they say threatens to undermine their business model.

In November, Italian police dismantled a network which accounted for 70% of illegal streaming across the nation and yielded monthly profits of around 10 million euros. ($1 = 0.9032 euros)

Reporting by Angelo Amante Editing by Keith Weir

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.