Startup Aereo has been allowed to continue sending live TV programs to iPhones and other mobile devices in the New York City Area. Many networks had sued Aereo for copyright infringement, claiming that the company was illegally copying and then re-broadcasting their content.
U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan refused to grant the preliminary injunction brought today by the networks – including ABC, NBC, and CBS – to shut down Aereo while the original suit itself was heard by the courts.
“Plaintiffs have not shown a likelihood of success on the merits” of the case, said Judge Nathan. She admitted that Aereo’s practices could be unfair, reports Bloomberg, but that the law itself leaves her no option but to allow the company to continue to transmit for the length of time it takes for the actual trial to take place.
Aereo allows its customers to stream TV from various networks in the New York area to their iPhones, iPads, and computers, all for a monthly fee of $12. They company claims that it is merely offering an alternative platform for watching the programming, and that it is only renting the users its antenna. The broadcasters, of course, maintain that Aereo’s service is the same as a public performance of the material, which is an infringing use.
Surely the broadcasters will appeal the ruling, so Aereo’s currently bright outlook may sour, and soon.
Source: Bloomberg
Via: Electronista
Image: Gotta Be Mobile
Rob LeFebvre is an Anchorage, Alaska-based writer and editor who has contributed to various tech, gaming and iOS sites, including 148Apps, Creative Screenwriting, Shelf-Awareness, VentureBeat, and Paste Magazine. Feel free to find Rob on Twitter @roblef, and send him a cookie once in a while; he’ll really appreciate it.
2 responses to “Aereo Allowed To Stream Live TV To iPhones Via Court Order”
A similar thing happened here in Australia; where a telecom was providing coverage of sporting events, delayed by 2 minutes and without advertising. After several appeals from the sporting board and sponsors the project was shut down, with the judge ruling it breached copyright. I don’t see how this is any different.
I think the main problem in Australia was that they were re-broadcasting PayTV channels depriving the channels of subscriber revenue. Personally, I can not see the problem with re-transmitting free-to-air TV. Surely all the networks want is more viewers, regardless of what media they use to watch the programs. Am I missing something here?