An illegal streaming operation called beoutQ has become a key battleground in a political dispute between Middle Eastern powers Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Now, the World Trade Organization is stepping in to investigate Qatari allegations that Saudi Arabia has not taken effective action against the channel, which is believed to be based in the kingdom.
Qatari network beIN owns the rights to broadcast a wide range of major sports events not just in its home territory of the Middle East, but across parts of Africa, Europe, Asia, the U.S., and Australia. The similarly named beoutQ service launched in 2017, after Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Qatar over allegations of support for terrorism.
Over the last year, beoutQ has illegally broadcast content that has included beIN’s coverage of the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup, English Premier League, Formula 1 races, and tennis matches. Although Saudi Arabia did seize 12,000 pirating devices in the kingdom in June, the beoutQ platform continues to operate.
Earlier this fall, beIN launched a $1 billion claim against beoutQ, and the Qatari government petitioned the WTO to investigate Sauid Arabia over allegations of intellectual property violations.
According to Reuters, the WTO announced this week that it would address those allegations. The Saudis have contested that the international trade regulator has no standing to rule on the situation. But in a meeting on Wednesday, representatives from the European Union, Canada, and China supported Qatar’s right to pursue IP protection through the WTO, according to a report by Inside World Football.