The
Consumer Electronics Association, a professional organization that
represents 2,000 technology companies, today expressed his support for
ad-skipping technology to Dish Network - the development of a fierce
battle between multifront the satellite TV provider and major broadcast networks, including CBS, the parent company of CNET.
The question of the legality of the DVR dishes, the hopper, including its "AutoHop" feature. AutoHop allows customers to record the entire range of prime-time and automatically skip commercials. Broadcasters
believe that the technology could jeopardize an industry that depends
on advertising revenue to help cover the cost of its shows.
CEA
has filed an amicus brief yesterday in the Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
- with the computer and communications industry and Internet
Association - arguing: "In sum and substance, the hopper can simply consumers to perform the same actions as old VCRs or DVRs others, a little more efficient. "The
thesis is largely based on the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in
Sony v. Universal City Studios, saying that recording TV programming for
personal use is legal, and the features that make the recordings are
not responsible for copyright infringement.
CEA
President Gary Shapiro said in a statement that "make it easier to
watch TV is not contrary to the law. This is simply conducive to
innovation and consumer-friendly."
Fox, owned by News Corp., filed the complaint before the 9th Circuit. CBS Corp., parent company of CNET News, and other media companies are in litigation against the dishes. CBS filed an amended complaint earlier this week.
NBC
Universal officials have already made "dishes just does not have the
power to alter the advertisements broadcast replays on a wholesale basis
for its economic and commercial advantage." We reached out to NBC and
CBS, and we will update
the story when they comment. A Fox representative declined to comment
on the amicus CEA. CEA Launches International Consumer Electronics Show,
or CES. organization launched the hopper design winner 2013 and
Engineering Award
at the show earlier this month. In his statement, Shapiro maintains the
hopper is to encourage people to watch more TV. He emphasized the
support of the technology industry product, citing the initial decision CNET assign the hopper of the "Best of CES" award. The
hopper was removed from the competition for CNET Best of CES because of
a conflict of interest related to ongoing litigation with CBS announces
flat on his jump technology.
So far, the Court has not prevented dishes to sell the product. In
August 2012, Fox filed a preliminary injunction against the hopper, but
in November, a California district court denied his request to block
the sale of the unit. Fox appealed this decision. The court found that copies of programs made dishes AutoHop its function may constitute a violation of copyright.
Separate
pro-Hopper amicus curiae briefs were filed yesterday by a group of law
professors and advocacy groups in the non-profit Electronic Frontier
Foundation and Public Knowledge. Referring to the court's refusal to block the sale of the hopper, the groups said. "Copyright
does not guarantee the copyright holders like Fox absolute control over
the use of their works The district court followed clear precedent and
sound policy when it was found that users Hopper Announcement Dish
not to encroach on the exclusive rights to Fox, which dishes would
probably not responsible for any use of its customers, and that Fox has
not suffered irreparable harm. "
The
CBS Television Network Affiliates Association and its subsidiaries
other broadcasting filed amicus brief their own last month. He
said: "This service - particularly if it is rooted and widespread -
threatens to devalue ads underlying the local television stations to
produce and acquire quality programming."
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