When the pass started, was the receiver ahead? That is resolved by the VAR. When this system was implemented to resolve arbitration deficiencies, was it already patented under another name? That will be defined by Justice after the Spanish Francisco Lopez filed a complaint against FIFA for plagiarism and a demand for compensation of 300 million euros.
“The VAR system was the project called ‘Football of the 21st Century’, everything is registered as a whole. “The only thing they have done now is give it another name,” López told the Spanish newspaper AS in 2017. In that interview, the now complainant offered the details with which he based his claim.
The conflict is not new. According to López’s record, supported by papers that would certify his authorship, it dates back to the last months of the last millennium. Another world, another football, but apparently the same need to correct the referees’ error with an offside, a penalty or any regulatory issue determining the result of a football match.
“The development has been done based on my project. I have it registered in the General Registry of Intellectual Property in 1999 and its subsequent extension was registered in 2006.″indicates the Spaniard who accounts for the authenticity of the papers of his invention.
But it has more. He assures that both the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) y FIFA They are aware of the situation: they treasure the exchange of emails with both entities. A round trip with which López is sure to demonstrate that the leadership knew of his authorship before the system was tested starting in 2010 in the Netherlands.
“The first time I sent it to him was in 1999, and then every year until 2007. “I have maintained constant communication for a long time with former referee José María García Aranda, right-hand man of (Ángel María) Villar in FIFA and one of the chief referees in FIFA.”Lopez explained.
The last seven years were unsuccessful attempts to have the invention of VAR recognized and to be able to receive compensation for the use of the system in most of the world’s leagues and continental or FIFA-organized competitions. For this reason, he made a presentation before Justice.
After seven years of trying to get recognition, he has decided to raise the matter to the point that this Tuesday a judge will hear the parties to decide whether to provisionally prohibit the continued use of VAR in football until the substance of the conflict is resolved.
The Commercial Court No. 6 of Madrid now has to determine whether to apply a precautionary measure and there is the possibility that it prohibits the use of the system until it determines the guilty and innocent. In this case it can have a global impact.
The Argentine case
FIFA has already faced a similar case due to the use of aerosol with which referees mark the place where the ball and the barrier should be located in free kicks and thus avoid overtaking. The inventor of the system – actually evanescent aerosol foam – is the Argentine Pablo Silvawho after many years and achieved a ruling in their favor for improper use of the product.
“Do you want to win 20 million dollars now or 40 million after the World Cup?”Silva told Clarion what he asked Julio Grondona the day he showed him how “9.15 spray” would work. The process continued in the hands of Don Julio and in Brazil 2014 the foam had its World Cup debut.
However, shortly after that World Cup, Grondona died and FIFA did not respect the agreement made and continued to use the system. The first judicial claim was for 40 million dollars, what the FIFA vice president had promised, but the amount grew due to patent violation, fines and the spread of pirated brands.
In 2017, Justice recognized the claim and prohibited FIFA from using the spray, in addition to setting a fine of 15 thousand dollars per game in which it was used. However, the Zurich-based entity did not comply with the resolution and asked the judge for authorization to use another brand of aerosol in the World Cup in Russia.
With these accounts, if after FIFA’s appeal the ruling is final Silva should pocket around 120 million dollars. “It won’t be long until we put the final bow on it”Silva also told Clarionwho awaits the completion of the trial to collect his compensation.