Qatar takes diplomatic rift with Saudis to WTO
The diplomatic row between Qatar and Saudi Arabia found its way to the World Trade Organization (WTO) after Doha announced that it had started proceedings against Riyadh over alleged intellectual property rights violations.
Qatar's Economy Ministry said in a statement that the proceedings were partly connected to the blocking of its beIN broadcaster in Saudi Arabia.
It also accused Riyadh of refusing to take effective action against the piracy of beIN content in the kingdom.
The Ministry added that it had submitted a request at the WTO for formal consultations to address its allegations against Saudi Arabia.
BeIN Sports, a global sports network, is blocked in Saudi Arabia under a boycott the kingdom imposed on Qatar over a year ago, Reuters reported.
Riyadh and Arab allies severed diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in June 2017 over its alleged support of terrorism. Doha denies the accusations and relations remain hostile.
Qatar’s Economy Ministry said it submitted a request at the WTO for formal consultations to address its allegations against Saudi Arabia, which include the pirating of beIN content by beoutQ.
It is unclear who owns beoutQ or where it is based, though the broadcaster is widely available in Saudi Arabia, Reuters added in its report on the development. Following accusations of piracy of beIN content in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi official said in June the kingdom had confiscated about 12,000 pirating devices from the market.
BeoutQ has been accused by soccer's governing body FIFA, tennis governing bodies and others of illegally airing sports content which beIN owns the exclusive Middle East rights to.
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