Will 'Murphy's Law' hit content rights holders?

A recent ECJ ruling has the potential to spark fundamental changes in the way TV rights are sold in the EU, although for the short term at least the status quo is likely to remain.

Prior to an EU Court of Justice (“ECJ”) ruling on 4 October 2011 few people were likely to have heard of Karen Murphy. However, the same could have been said about Belgian league football player Jean-Marc Bosman prior to another ECJ ruling on 15 December 1995.