David Otunga Breaks Down Whether Netflix Can And Will Sue Bars For Streaming WWE Raw

Real life lawyer and former WWE star David Otunga has something to say about corporate law and intellectual property. Earlier this year, WWE went back and forth either honoring or forbidding public venues, like bars and restaurants, from broadcasting premium live events like the Elimination Chamber (across Chicago) and WrestleMania 42 this past April before an eventual pushback. Now, the question is: can the company go after these same businesses for showcasing its flagship programs every week like "WWE Raw?" Otunga just might have the answer to that, but it's more complicated than one would think.

Discussing the hypothetical scenario on his YouTube channel, the former two-time WWE Tag Team Champion said, "[The venue owner] should've reasonably ... known that he needed the commercial license for that," Otunga stated. However, that doesn't mean he believes it would be smart for Netflix to sue. "If you were Netflix, I mean, would you really want to bankrupt a venue that's letting people share your excitement for your show? Think about it: You're getting people to come together to watch something that streams on your network. That's ultimately good promotion for you. So I don't know if it's necessarily top of mind for Netflix to crack down on all these venues that this is potentially happening at. However, that doesn't mean that they won't."

Otunga added that the owner of the venue showing Netflix based programming needs one or both of these things: a commercial license (top priority) and/or permission from the streaming company itself. If not, they could be liable for copyright infringement, which can come with hefty fees and penalties. He said it's always good to have an attorney on hand in case things go awry. However, to the paying patron sitting at the bar or restaurant watching these shows, they are not in trouble, Otunga clarified.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "David Otunga" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.