Aereo, the New York company that promises to stream local channels to internet connected devices, was hit with a lawsuit. As expected, New York broadcasters filed suit on the grounds of copyright infringement. For $12 per month, Aereo assigns each subscriber a tiny high tech over-the-air antenna. Broadcast transmissions are then streamed to PCs and Macs, smartphones, and internet connected TVs. Aereo feels that by renting customers their own antenna, they can stream live local TV without obtaining retransmission rights. New York broadcasters say no. According to the lawsuit, “It simply does not matter whether Aereo uses one big antenna to receive Plaintiffs’ broadcasts and restransmit them to subscribers, or ‘tons’ of ‘tiny’ antennas, as Aereo claims it does. No amount of technological gimmickry by Aereo – or claims that it is simply providing a set of sophisticated ‘rabbit ears’ – changes the fundamental principle of copyright law…Simply put, Aereo is an unauthorized Internet delivery service that is receiving, converting, and retransmitting broadcast signals to its subscribers for a fee.” Aereo shot back: “Aereo does not believe that the broadcasters’ position has any merit and it very much looks forward to a full and fair airing of the issues. Consumers are legally entitled to access broadcast television via an antenna and they are entitled to record television content for their personal use.” If Aereo can pull this off, it will be a watershed moment for online television.
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