UFC sues Web site operator over alleged pirated broadcasts

By Steve Green

Friday, Feb. 19, 2010 | 10:34 a.m.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is suing a Web site operator it says is selling pirated broadcasts of current and past UFC fights.

Las Vegas-based Zuffa LLC, owner of the UFC, filed suit in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas on Thursday against Moazzam Gandu. Zuffa says Gandu lives in Stafford, Va., and runs the Web site www.rage-streams.net.

Zuffa complained that rage-streams is offering unauthorized "live streaming" video of UFC 110 for $6.99, even though the lowest authorized price for the broadcast of the event is $44.95.

UFC 110 is a series of bouts set for Sydney, Australia, on Saturday (Sunday in Australia).

Rage-streams also offers for sale unauthorized video of at least 40 past UFC events, Zuffa charges. Rage-Streams is profiting from these current and past broadcasts by selling advertising with them, attorneys for Zuffa said.

The lawsuit asserts allegations including copyright and trademark infringement, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices. It seeks a temporary restraining order barring rage-streams from providing unauthorized UFC broadcasts.

"Defendant's Web site is designed to trade off of plaintiff's goodwill," Zuffa's lawsuit says.

"Defendant is using a mark that is the same and/or confusingly similar to the UFC marks in connection with the sale, offering for sale, or advertising of services in a manner that is likely to cause confusion or mistake, or to deceive consumers as to an affiliation, connection or association with plaintiff, or as to the origin, sponsorship, or approval of defendant’s services or commercial activities by plaintiff," charged the suit, filed by attorneys Michael Feder and John Krieger with the Las Vegas office of the law firm Lewis and Roca LLP.

A request for comment on the allegations was placed with the defendant Friday.