Just because the entertainment industry is headed on their holiday vacations, doesn’t mean the bitter fight over Aereo is going dark.
On Monday, a group of TV broadcasters that includes each of the Big Four networks filed their response at the Supreme Court to the ongoing back-and-forth asking the High Court to hear their case.
The networks told the Justices that they shouldn’t be fooled by Aereo’s posturing that it is simply a company supplying a device that allows customers to capture over-the-air local TV broadcasts and play them on their digital devices.
“Make no mistake about it. Aereo is not a hardware supplier. It offers a subscription service,” the networks told the High Court.
The distinction is an important one, since the broadcasters have claimed all along that Aereo is violating their copyright protections by allowing public performances of their content. Aereo claims they’re simply helping viewers “enhance” their private enjoyment of the broadcasts.
Read More: The Hollywood Reporter
Brief Take: It’s clear that both sides are eager for the High Court to weigh in on issue, but it remains to be seen which side’s framing of the issue the Justices will agree to consider.
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