Court rejects charges against FIA

A COURT in Frankfurt has rejected charges that the world motorsport body FIA and its vice-president and Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone had set up an illegal cartel by centrally marketing the sport's television rights.

German TV producer Wolfgang Eisele took the matter to court after losing out in 1996 to the FIA and their marketing company International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC) with broadcasts from the Truck Racing Cup. The court said the FIA had the right to centrally market the various racing series because the body also did its share to make the product interesting for television and fans.

Eisele claimed the monopoly would mean the end of some racing events, but the judges insisted the FIA and ISC actually made them marketable. Eisele said he would appeal against the ruling.