HBO on Tuesday sought to turn the tables on the British sporting goods company suing it for libel over a report about child labour in India, telling a federal jury in Manhattan the claims against it were baseless.
The trial, which opened on Monday, follows years of litigation over the report on "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," which first aired in September 2008.
The report accused British sporting goods company Mitre Sports International of turning a blind eye to contractors or subcontractors who allegedly used underaged workers to produce Mitre-branded footballs in India.
In his opening statements, HBO's lawyer Dane Butswinkas acknowledged that the report may not have been "perfect." But he said it took two years and "careful detective work and follow-up" to produce the 21-minute report.
Advertisement
Mitre, which is owned by the London-based Pentland Group, has called the report a "hatchet job."
Advertisement
HBO has disputed this claim.
Advertisement
Following HBO's opening statements on Tuesday, the 12-member jury saw a videotaped deposition from India's Kailash Satyarthi, who shared the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for his work as a children's rights activist and campaigner against child labour.
Advertisement
He testified that local contractors or subcontractors, seeking to exploit the cheapest workers available were the biggest obstacle to ending child labour.
Advertisement
"The people responsible at Mitre for all the good work can never come to know the truth," he said.
The case is Mitre Sports International Limited v. Home Box Office Inc in U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 08-09117.
© Thomson Reuters 2015
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Child Labourers At Madhya Pradesh Distillery Worked 11 Hours A Day: Report JioCinema Premium Annual Plan Silently Launched in India at This Price Dil Dosti Dilemma Review: Prime Video's Latest Series Is So Sugary That It Might Give You Diabetes Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms "I Divorce You... Your Ex-Wife": Dubai Princess Dumps Husband In Insta Post Biden Says Could Drop Election Bid If "Medical Condition" Emerged Russia Says It's Ready To Work With Any US Leader 3 People Die After Drowning In Lake In Telangana: Cops Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.