If your bar, restaurant, or other business received a Joe Hand Promotions demand letter or lawsuit over a UFC fight or boxing match shown on your TVs, I defend business owners in these commercial signal piracy claims. Most of these cases can be resolved before trial. I'm Jonathan Francis, a copyright and media defense attorney, and I represent bars and restaurants against Joe Hand Promotions nationwide.
The letter usually sets a short response date, and the next step after that date is often a federal lawsuit. Get the claim reviewed before you answer it or pay it.
This page is general information, not legal advice about your situation.
Free, confidential case review. Fill out a short form and upload the demand letter or complaint. I'll tell you what you're facing and quote a flat fee.
Contacting me does not create an attorney-client relationship. Until we've confirmed there's no conflict and agreed in writing to work together, please send only the letter or notice you received, and don't include other confidential details.
What is a Joe Hand Promotions demand letter?
A Joe Hand Promotions demand letter is a settlement demand from the company that sells commercial licenses for UFC and boxing pay-per-view events, claiming your business showed an event without buying that license.
Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. holds the commercial distribution rights to many pay-per-view fights. A bar or restaurant that shows one needs a commercial sublicense, priced by the venue's capacity, even if someone ordered the event on a home account. Joe Hand sends investigators to count the crowd, note the screens and any cover charge, and sign an affidavit. Its lawyers then send a demand, often followed by a "Final Notice" and then a lawsuit in federal court.
The claims arise under two federal statutes: 47 U.S.C. § 605, which covers satellite and radio transmissions, and 47 U.S.C. § 553, which covers cable. Demands usually cite both.
What's actually at stake
Under § 605, statutory damages run from $1,000 to $10,000 per violation, with up to $100,000 more if the violation was willful and for commercial advantage; under § 553, the range is $250 to $10,000, with up to $50,000 more for willfulness.
§ 605 (satellite)
$1,000 to $10,000 per violation, up to $100,000 more if willful, and the court must award the plaintiff's attorney's fees if it wins (§ 605(e)(3)).
§ 553 (cable)
$250 to $10,000 for all violations, up to $50,000 more if willful, and attorney's fees are up to the court (§ 553(c)).
Innocent violators
If the business didn't know and had no reason to believe it was violating the law, the court can reduce damages to as little as $250 under § 605 or $100 under § 553.
Those numbers are ceilings, not typical outcomes. Courts often start from the commercial license fee your venue would have paid and increase it based on willfulness factors: a cover charge, advertising the fight, higher prices that night, multiple screens, and prior violations. Which statute applies, and whether the evidence supports enhanced damages, is where most of the negotiating value is.
Defenses and leverage in Joe Hand cases
The strongest points in these cases usually come from your own records: how the event reached your TVs, who ordered it, how many people were actually there, and who owned and ran the business that night.
- How the signal arrived. Satellite, cable, and internet streaming are treated differently. Some federal courts have held that §§ 553 and 605 don't reach programming received over the internet, including Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. v. Cusi, No. 3:13-cv-00935 (S.D. Cal. 2014). Other courts disagree, so this is leverage, not a guaranteed defense.
- A residential account. Ordering the fight at the home price and showing it in the business is the classic fact pattern. It doesn't defeat liability, but it bears on willfulness and the innocent-violator reduction.
- The investigator's count. The headcount drives the license fee and the enhancement. Your point-of-sale records for that night are the best rebuttal.
- Personal liability of the owner. Demands name the owner individually. Courts generally require more than ownership, typically the right and ability to supervise the violation and a direct financial interest in it.
- Time. Neither statute has its own limitations period, so courts borrow one from state or federal law, and the periods applied range from one to six years. An older event can be a real defense.
- Ability to pay. Documented finances, shared under a settlement-communication protection, often move the number more than any legal argument.
Don't delete social media posts about the event, point-of-sale data, or TV provider bills. Deleted posts look worse than the posts themselves, and the records usually help you.
What to do this week
Note the response date, keep every record from the night of the event, and don't call Joe Hand's lawyers or pay anything until someone has reviewed the claim.
- Find the response date in the letter or "Final Notice," and the event name and date.
- Pull your TV provider bill for that month and any pay-per-view or streaming receipt.
- Save your records for the night: point-of-sale summary, staff schedule, any posts or flyers.
- Check your insurance. Coverage is often disputed, but notify your carrier in writing anyway.
- If you've been served with a lawsuit, you generally have 21 days to respond in federal court. Ignoring a complaint leads to a default judgment.
The response date in the letter is real. Start your case review now and you'll hear back promptly.
Contacting me does not create an attorney-client relationship. Until we've confirmed there's no conflict and agreed in writing to work together, please send only the letter or notice you received, and don't include other confidential details.
J & J Sports Productions and G & G Closed Circuit Events
J & J Sports Productions and G & G Closed Circuit Events send the same kind of demand for boxing and other pay-per-view events, under the same two statutes, and the same defenses apply.
If your letter comes from one of them instead of Joe Hand Promotions, everything on this page still applies: the statute depends on how the signal arrived, the damages depend on the evidence of willfulness, and the owner's personal exposure depends on control and financial interest.
How I handle Joe Hand cases
I represent bars and restaurants against Joe Hand Promotions demands and lawsuits on a flat fee, quoted after a free review, so you know the cost before you commit.
I've negotiated settlements in cases filed from California to New York, including cases in Texas, Georgia, Illinois, and Michigan. Most resolve without anyone appearing in court. When a case does need a court appearance, I can seek admission for that case or bring in local counsel. I'm admitted in Illinois and in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois and the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
When a demand names both the business and the owner, I'll explain the choice between representing them jointly or separately before we start.
Related: Strike 3 Holdings subpoena defense · Copyright defense · Federal civil litigation
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I ignore a Joe Hand Promotions letter?
Joe Hand usually follows unanswered demands with a federal lawsuit against the business and the owner. If the lawsuit is ignored too, the court can enter a default judgment for statutory damages and attorney's fees, which is far harder and more expensive to undo than a demand letter is to answer.
We ordered the fight on a home account. Are we still liable?
Probably, yes. A business showing a pay-per-view event needs a commercial license, but ordering it at the residential price is evidence against willfulness and can support a reduced award. It matters a great deal to what the claim is worth.
Can Joe Hand sue me personally, not just my business?
Joe Hand usually names the owner individually. Courts generally look for more than ownership, typically the right and ability to supervise what was shown and a direct financial interest in it. Whether you were there that night and who controlled the TVs are key facts.
We streamed the fight online. Does that change anything?
It can. Some federal courts have held that the signal piracy statutes don't cover programming received over the internet, though others disagree. It's a significant point in negotiation, and it depends on exactly how the event reached your screens.
How much do these cases settle for?
It depends on the venue's capacity and license fee, the evidence of willfulness, which statute applies, and the business's finances. The opening demand is usually a multiple of the license fee and is rarely where the case ends.
Can you help if my case was filed in another state?
Yes. I've negotiated settlements in cases filed from California to New York, including cases in Texas, Georgia, Illinois, and Michigan, and most resolve without anyone appearing in court. If an appearance does become necessary, I can ask that court for permission to appear in your case (pro hac vice) or work with local counsel in that district. Contact me for a free, confidential consultation and I'll explain how your case would be handled.
Attorney Advertising. General information, not legal advice. Contacting this office does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Responsible attorney: Jonathan M. Francis, 3525 West Peterson Avenue, Suite 604, Chicago, Illinois 60659.