A Madrid investigating court has summoned Matthew Prince, chief executive of Cloudflare, to appear on April 7 as part of criminal proceedings tied to alleged failures to curb online football piracy.
Investigating Court Number 50 admitted a joint complaint from LaLiga and Movistar Plus+, accusing the US technology firm of offences against intellectual property. The claimants argue that Cloudflare ignored more than 100 formal requests to disable websites streaming unauthorised football matches using its infrastructure.
The alleged economic damage is estimated at €859 million. According to the complaint, a substantial portion of illegal streams accessed in Spain are routed through Cloudflare’s content delivery network, with claimants alleging that up to 38% of illicit content consumed domestically relies on its services.
The case follows strengthened anti-piracy measures. In December 2024, a Barcelona court authorised dynamic blocking orders, allowing rights holders and internet service providers to shut down infringing domains in real time. However, Cloudflare’s shared hosting model has complicated enforcement, as blocking one site can disrupt legitimate businesses using the same IP addresses.
The complaint also includes allegations of threats and obstruction of justice. The dispute highlights growing tensions between major tech platforms advocating open internet principles and sports rights holders demanding stricter enforcement protections.
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