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In a precedent-setting decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled today that Aereo is in violation of US copyright law. The decision states that Aereo's use of tiny antennas hooked up to cloud DVR technology violates the right of companies producing broadcast content.
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The decision is backed up by the Supreme Court's history with cable companies. In 1976, the Copyright Act deemed the rebroadcast of airwave-based television via cable a performance. As a result, cable companies had to pay broadcast networks for access to content. Today's ruling states that Aereo is essentially in the same boat as cable TV companies. "Aereo's activities are substantially similar to those of the [cable television] companies that Congress amended the Act to reach," Associate Justice Stephen Breyer writes.
SOURCE
Very unfortunate news, and potentially with some significant ramficiations as it relates to cloud computing services. What is interesting from an immediete look....this extremely PRO-Corporation interpritation of the law that benefits the likes of NBC and Fox was endorsed not by Alito, Thomas, and Scalia but by Sotomayor, Ginsburg, and Kagan.
Aereo was offering people hardware that allowed them to better make use of something they are able to recieve for free; but god forbid anything shake up the HORRENDOUS situation we have in this country as it relates to anything concerning the telecoms and media conglomorates