In my ongoing efforts to document caselaw addressing UFC Pay Per View piracy allegations, reasons for judgement were released this week by the United States District Court in San Diego dismissing such a claim against a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym. In this week’s case (Joe Hand Promotions Inc. v. Cusi et al) the Plaintiff, Joe … More BJJ Gym Sued For Showing UFC Event Without Commercial Licence
The Office of the BC Athletic Commissioner has released their long awaited anti Doping Policy and Therapeutic Use Exemption policy for Performance Enhancing Drugs. You can find a full copy of the policies here: BCAC Anti Doping Policy BCAC TUE Policy Section 21 of the BC Minister’s Athletic Commissioner Regulations adopted the WADA Prohibited List … More BC Athletic Commission Releases TUE And Anti Doping Policies; Bans TRT TUE’s
Bill 72, New Brunswick’s Combat Sport Act, has passed Third Reading today making New Brunswick the latest Province to provide a legal framework for professional and amateur combat sports following recent amendments to Canada’s Criminal Code. As previously discussed, below are the highlights of the newly minted New Brunswick law: The Act regulates both amateur … More New Brunswick Combat Sports Bill Voted Into Law
The Sikaran World Championships have been scheduled to take place on May 10 at the Winnipeg Convention Center. The advertised events include ‘sparring’. The problem? A Sikaran contact sparring contest will run afoul of the Criminal Code creating a potential showdown with authorities in Winnipeg this weekend. As previously discussed, Section 83 of the Criminal Code makes … More The Section 83 Gap Rears Its Head in Winnipeg
With the 2014 Ontario Provincial Election triggered, now is the time for Ontario’s political parties to lay out their plans to address the legislative gap making many amateur combat sports illegal in the Province. To date the Government has been, to put it kindly, vague in identifying their plans to address this situation. With an … More Which Ontario Party Will Fix The Amateur Combat Sports Legal Gap?
___________________________________________ Earlier this week I had the pleasure of making my third appearance on UFC Central Radio with Showdown Joe Ferraro along with co-guests Myles Jury and Brendan Schuab, discussing some of the latest legal topics addressing combat sports. You can find the interview here. I’d like to thank Showdown … More Welcome UFC Central Radio Listeners!
One question that is yet to be judicially tested is whether grappling competitions are illegal under Section 83 of Canada’s Criminal Code. We know that amateur wrestling and judo contests are legal, unless Provinces pass laws to the contrary, as these are caught by the “Olympic Sport” exemptions in section 83(2)(a) of the Code. But what … More Are Grappling Events Caught By Section 83 of Canada’s Criminal Code?
After covering what many consider to be the dryer topics in combat sports such as new legislation, regulatory developments, contract disputes and the like, I have finally come across a legal topic a little more interesting that the norm. In short see what happens when the authorities in Thailand punish local thugs by forcing them in … More How’s This For Combat Sports Law? Punishing Crime with Muay Thai!
Following the legal shake up caused by Bill S-209 which had the practical effect of shutting down MMA and Kickboxing in Moncton, the Province of New Brunswick has now introduced legislation to create a Province wide athletic commission which will legalize and regulate these sports throughout the Province. Bill 72, the “Combat Sport Act” was … More New Brunswick Seeks To Create Province Wide MMA/Combat Sports Commission
This past weekend the Canadian Amateur Mixed Martial Arts National Championships (an event affiliated with the IMMAF) took place in Ontario and the Province, apparently aware of the well publicized event, appears content to look the other way instead of passing appropriate laws to allow such events to be hosted in compliance with the Criminal Code. … More Willful Blindness Remains Ontario Government Response to Amatuer MMA
Combat Sports Law 