Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Internet TV Loses In Court

A Federal appellate court has upheld a judgment against IVI, Inc. and owner Todd Weaver who has been attempting to broadcast copyrighted television programming over the internet.

IVI, Inc. claimed the company fell under provisions of copyright law that allows cable and satellite companies to broadcast programming while paying royalties under the law's provisions to the Library of Congress. The court found that internet streaming of television programs is not covered under the law, and that Weaver's company was not a cable company.

IVI, Inc. was sued by WPIX of New York, ABC, Disney, CBS, NBC, MLB, Cox, Fox and other media companies to prevent streaming live programs via the internet to subscribers who paid a monthly fee to IVI.

Other similar companies have tried unsuccessfully to claim streaming of television programming without getting permission from the copyright owners is legal, and argue that they should have the same rights to freely re-transmit programming as the cable and satellite companies currently have.

Alki David, multi-millionaire eccentric, operator of Battlecam.com has been fighting for years to be allowed to stream live TV programming over the internet with FilmOn.com and other companies he owns around the world.  He has been sued in the U.S. and the U.K. by all major television networks and production companies to shut down the operations.

His latest venture BarryDriller.com is being sued by media mogul Barry Diller for violating publicity rights to Diller's name and for implying a false endorsement of David's company.

Diller has interests in Aereo, an internet tv program streaming company that has successfully so far been allowed to operate, even after being attacked by the networks who tried to get an injunction to shut the company down.

The court decision against IVI, Inc.
http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca2/11-788/11-788-2012-08-27.html

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