LBCI wins lawsuit
against Al Waleed

Five channels to go back on air

The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) won last week a lawsuit filed before the French arbitration court against Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal. The Sole Arbitrator has decided to transfer full title and ownership of ‘LBC Europe’, ‘LBC America’, ‘LBC Australia’, ‘LBC Africa’, ‘LBC Maghreb’ and of any trademark that has been registered or used for broadcasting LBCI programs and grids in: Europe, America, Australia, Africa, and Maghreb.

The court said that claimant (LBCI) will pay to respondent (Al Waleed) a consideration of one dollar for the full title and ownership of trademarks. The court’s decision stipulated that Al Waleed will be responsible for all fees and expenses of the lawsuit he lost.

Pierre El Daher, CEO of LBCI, said that the first code of the court’s decision said that Al Waleed has breached the contract, when he ended it before its due date.

“The lawsuit that we presented in front of the French legal authorities involved several other key points. When the judicial holiday ends and activity resumes, we will activate the proceedings for the remaining points,” said Daher. This will involve employees’, suppliers, and banks’ compensation and penalties since 2011.

“Nilesat and Arabsat managers took LBCI channels off the air in an arbitrary decision influenced by Al Waleed’s activity and recommendation,” he said. LBCI’s next step will include contacting satellite managers, Nilesat and Arabsat, to put the channels back on the air.