Aereo countersues TV networks to clear mobile TV service
updated 04:25 pm EDT, Mon March 12, 2012
Aereo demands clearance to keep broadcasting
Aereo started off the week with a countersuit hoping to stop a broadcaster lawsuit targeting its fledgling mobile TV streaming service. The service wanted the court to declare that Aereo didn't violate the copyrights of ABC, CBS, and NBCUniversal, effectively negating the original complaint. None of the services had formally tried to stop the launch of Aereo, which goes live on Wednesday.
Unlike previous services that have tried streaming as a bridge to a physical medium, such as the recently shuttered Zediva, IAC-backed Aereo is consciously designed in a way that makes it resistant to, if not immune to, legal action. Each subscriber gets an individual antenna in a large grid, preventing complaints of shared broadcasts, and can only record shows for their own viewing. The $12 monthly subscription is to pay for the streaming and cloud storage costs.
Broadcasters have been shy on reasons for trying to shutter Aereo and can't make the claim that it denies them viewership, since each antenna counts as an individual user whether they use the iPad, a TV, or computer to access their live feeds. The move might come out of frustration at possibly losing customers who might have otherwise gone to basic cable and generated more revenue.
