Aereo, ATVA issue statements on SCOTUS case

0

AereoFollowing the 4/22 oral arguments in front of the Supreme Court on American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. v. Aereo, the following remarks were delivered outside the Court by David Frederick, counsel to Aereo: “The Supreme Court today heard argument in ABC vs. Aereo. From our perspective, the issue in the case was whether consumers who have always had a right to have an antenna and a DVR in their home and make copies of local over-the-air broadcast television, if that right should be infringed at all simply by moving the antenna and DVR to the cloud. The court’s decision today will have significant consequences for cloud computing. We’re confident, cautiously optimistic, based on the way the hearing went today that the Court understood that a person watching over-the-air broadcast television in his or her home is engaging in a private performance and not a public performance that would implicate the Copyright Act.”


American Television Alliance issued the following statement: “Today, broadcasters continued their ongoing fight against television innovation and video reform. They’re committed to an antiquated system that delivers massive profits, including $25 billion from pay-TV customers over the next five years. Until Congress creates video rules that reflect the 21st Century, viewers will suffer blackouts and ever-higher fees. Cases like Aereo will arise as long as broadcasters obstruct the future.”