What is Sky doing to fight fraud?

Sky is committed to protecting our legitimate commercial subscribers by making it possible to immediately identify where a licensed premise is showing Sky without the correct commercial viewing agreement.

Sky Business commercial subscribers will see a pint glass 'bug' appear on their screen from time to time, our bug instantly reveals who is - and most importantly, who is not - showing Sky under the correct commercial subscription agreement.

The bug appears and disappears on different channels at different times known only to Sky Business and our policing partners.

All our legitimate subscribers also receive a Sky Business licence for display in the window of their premises, again providing instant recognition of who is, and who is not a legitimate Sky subscriber.

We have also established field forces to detect unauthorised showing of Sky and to brief businesses on the consequences of unauthorised reception. We maintain a policing operation throughout the UK and ROI and consistently monitor the unauthorised screening of Sky programmes in commercial premises.

People found to be showing Sky in commercial premises without having entered into the correct commercial subscription agreement with Sky face criminal prosecution (this may result in a fine and costs being awarded against them). They also risk losing their licence, as has happened in recent cases. Civil action is also taken for recovery of subscription revenue and legal expenses.

Our policing operation has resulted in over 1,500 successful criminal prosecutions with eight licensees having their licences suspended and an additional nine licensees losing their personal licenses for breaking the law in this way. We have also undertaken in excess of 700 civil actions and judgments have been obtained with damages of up to £65,000. Injunctions are also applied for in the courts to prevent persistent offenders continuing their illegal activity.

We remain committed to protecting the interests of legitimate customers by undertaking a full range of activities that result in the prosecution of businesses who choose to enjoy the benefits of Sky without the proper commercial subscription agreement. Our investigators visit commercial premises continually and we fully support their efforts to prosecute businesses who break the law.

What is this pint glass symbol on my screen?

Sky Business commercial subscribers will see a pint glass 'bug' appear on their screen from time to time and this bug instantly reveals who is - and most importantly, who is not - showing Sky with the correct commercial subscription agreement.

The bug appears and disappears on different channels at different times known only to Sky Business and our policing partners. It is not on screen at all times.

Getting the bug - four facts

1. Sky works with our policing partners to protect legitimate subscribers' investment and to stamp out theft
2. As a legitimate Sky commercial subscriber you will see a pint glass (known as the 'bug') appear on your TV screen
3. The bug will not always be present on screen and you won't know which channels or programmes the bug will appear on, or even where it may appear on screen
4. The bug has been developed to help protect you and your business interests: anyone caught showing Sky in public areas without a valid commercial subscription agreement is committing an offence and risks a fine of up to £5,000 per offence, a criminal record and the loss of their licence. They also risk civil action with associated damages and costs.

All our legitimate subscribers also receive a Sky Business licence for display in the window of their premises, again providing instant recognition of who is, and who is not a legitimate Sky subscriber.

In addition to the bug and the Sky licence, Sky has field forces in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to detect the unauthorised showing of Sky and to brief businesses on the consequences of unauthorised reception.

I'm not sure if I am on the correct agreement

Select 'Packages' or your business type to help you find the correct agreement for your business.

Or you can call the Sky Business team on 08442 411 111 (UK) 0818 719 888 (ROI).

I know a business that is showing Sky illegally

If you know a business who is showing Premier League matches via a foreign satellite system you can report this directly to Media Protection Services Ltd (MPS) on 0845 290 3434 (England & Wales) or ID Inquiries on 0141 333 9679 in Scotland.

The Premier League have employed MPS and ID Inquiries, a specialist fraud detection agency, to monitor the use of satellite systems which broadcast Premier League football matches illegally on licensed premises.

What action does Sky take against businesses that are showing without the proper commercial subscription agreement in place?

We take theft very seriously.

People found to be showing Sky content in commercial premises without having entered the correct commercial subscription agreement with Sky face criminal prosecution (this may result in a fine and costs being awarded against them). They also risk losing their licence. Civil action for recovery of subscription revenue and legal expenses may also follow.

The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) conducts prosecutions on behalf of its members as part of an ongoing commitment to crack down on those who continue to show Sky programming without the correct subscription agreement.

We have established field forces, to detect the unauthorised showing of Sky and brief businesses on the consequences of unauthorised reception. We have maintained a policing operation for over 10 years throughout the UK and ROI and continue to do so. We consistently continue to monitor unauthorised screening of Sky programmes in commercial premises.

In recent years our policing operation has resulted in over 1,500 successful criminal prosecutions with eight licensees having their licences suspended and an additional nine licensees losing their personal licences for breaking the law in this way. We have also undertaken in excess of 700 civil actions and judgments have been obtained with damages of up to £65,000. Injunctions are also applied for in the courts to prevent persistent offenders continuing their illegal activity.

We are committed to protecting the interests of legitimate customers by undertaking a full range of activities that result in prosecution of businesses who choose to enjoy the benefits of Sky without the proper commercial subscription agreement. Our investigators visit commercial premises continually and we fully support their efforts to prosecute businesses who break the law.

I reported a business some time ago but they're still showing Sky

We take theft very seriously.

Data Protection regulations mean that we cannot give you any specific details about action that has been taken as a result of your information.

However please be assured that every report made to us is investigated and we work as quickly as possible to put an end to unauthorised viewing.

I know a business that is showing football via a foreign satellite system

If you know a business who is showing Premier League matches via a foreign satellite system you can report this directly to Media Protection Services Ltd (MPS) on 0845 290 3434 (England & Wales) or ID Inquiries on 0141 333 9679 in Scotland. The Premier league have employed MPS and ID Inquiries, a specialist fraud detection agency, to monitor the use of satellite systems which broadcast Premier League football matches illegally on licensed premises.

How do I report illegal viewing?

Please call us on 08442 411 111 (UK) 0818 719 888 (ROI) or email us on sbcomplianceteam@bskyb.com with as much information you can provide, i.e if it's foreign or domestic: name of premises, postcode/address and name of licensee if known and what games are being shown. If you are reporting someone you will remain anonymous.