The TF1 group blames the “illegal” distribution of its chains and a “neighboring rights” since 1 July 2019, the expiry date of an agreement signed in 2015.
This is a new setback for the Molotov online television service. The Company was sentenced by the Paris Judicial Court to pay 8.5 million euros to the TF1 group for “counterfeiting” and to cease the diffusion of its chains.
Continuing the distribution of TF1, LCI or TFX for lack of agreement, “Molotov has committed counterfeit acts of neighboring rights of the audiovisual communication company,” said the court in a decision on Friday and consulted by The France-Presse Agency (AFP), confirming information from Capital
Also sentenced for “counterfeiting of marks” with the reproduction of the logos of the channels, the French platform must stop broadcasting them within fifteen days, on pain of being sanctioned by 75 000 euros of fine per day delay. The three channels were inaccessible, Monday, January 10, on Molotov.
The streaming platform assured AFP that, “despite many reminders”, it had not received an offer from TF1 to allow it to distribute its chains. Hoping to find a “reasonable and balanced solution”, Molotov said, however, fear that TF1, on merge project background with M6, can “jeopardize free access to essential channels with millions of users”.
“Discussions are still ongoing” concerning the financial conditions of Molotov, affirmed the management of the TF1 group.
Agreement between Molotov and the group M6
On December 2, the company had already been ordered to pay more than 7 million euros to M6 in a similar file, before the two parties reach a dissemination agreement a few days later.
The TF1 group blames him at the same title the “illegal” distribution of his chains and a “breach of neighboring rights” since the 1 July 2019, the expiry date of an experimental agreement signed in 2015.
The platform, which denounces on its side “restrictive practices of competition”, assigned TF1 to the Paris Commercial Court, a procedure still in progress.
Accusing M6 and TF1 for breaking their “brutally and abusive” agreements, Molotov had also seized the authority of competition, which, however, dismissed its complaint in 2020, “lack of sufficiently convincing elements”.
Molotov offers paid offers and free offers to its users and will continue to freely distribute other Clear Channels from TNT (digital terrestrial television), specifies the group. Launched in 2016 by Jean-David Blanc (creator of allociné), Jean-Marc Denoual (former setting of TF1) and Pierre Lescure (former boss of Canal +), the French streaming service claims more than 17 million users in addition five years of existence, the daily Les Echos estimating 4 million the number of its active subscribers.
The platform has been redeemed in November for 164.3 million euros by FUBOTV, American sport-centered Internet service.