ProtectMyAntenna: New Aereo Website Presents Its Case to Consumers

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On Thursday, TV-service provider Aereo put a defense of its Internet-based service on a new website.

Retro TVProtectMyAntenna.org presents Aereo’s view that its service represents a simple extension of existing consumer rights to watch and record over-the-air broadcasts. The startup, which is backed by media mogul Barry Diller, is being sued by an array of broadcasters — including CBS (CBS), Comcast‘s (CMCSA) NBC, Disney‘s (DIS) ABC and Fox (FOXA) — who say Aereo is infringing on their content by failing to pay retransmission fees, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer notes.

The battle between broadcasters and Aereo will reach the U.S. Supreme Court next week.

On ProtectMyAntenna, Aereo says that “broadcasters are asking the Court to deny consumers the ability to use the cloud to access a more modern-day television antenna and DVR in order to protect what they believe are their most lucrative business models.” Aereo notes that existing copyright laws don’t exclude cloud-based equipment. Aereo uses cloud-based DVRs to record and store broadcast content which is then transmitted to subscribers through over the Internet.

So far, Aereo has emerged victorious in at least two federal lawsuits. However, if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the broadcasters, the decision could spell the end for Aereo.

Some broadcasters are so outraged by Aereo that they have threatened to cease over-the-air broadcasting and move toward a cable-subscription model for their networks.

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Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2014/04/protectmyantenna-new-aereo-website-presents-case-consumers/.

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