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GigaOm

Why Broadcasters Are Up in Arms Again Over Aereo

Dec 19, 2014  •  Post A Comment

The battle against Aereo isn’t over for the major broadcast networks. CBS, Fox, NBC and other broadcasters are asking a judge to block any asset sale by Aereo that would allow it to reform as a cloud-DVR service, reports GigaOm.

“According to bankruptcy court filings, the broadcasters believe that an asset sale could deprive them of the ability to collect copyright damages related to Aereo’s services,” the story reports. “Aereo allowed consumers to retransmit and record over-the-air TV signals via their mobile devices. The Supreme Court shut down the service this summer after six of the nine Justices concluded that Aereo required a license.”

With Aereo now in bankruptcy, the question is whether the company can emerge with a new business model that’s based on its remote recording technology, the report adds.

“While the Supreme Court ruled that the portion of Aereo’s service that allowed consumers to watch live TV infringed copyright, it declined to rule on whether Aereo’s cloud-based recording service — which operated akin to a VCR — was legal,” GigaOm notes.

According to court filings, the broadcasters are concerned that a bankruptcy sale would allow the company to reform, forcing the broadcasters to start another copyright infringement case, the article reports.

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