Aereo’s Battle to Let Consumers Watch Live TV Online Continues in Supreme Court

This week, Chet Kanojia, the founder and CEO of Aereo, a company dedicated to letting consumers watch live TV online, issued a statement to the press regarding the company’s most recent court battle with the television networks.

The premise behind Aereo’s stance is that, since the company uses a vast array of tiny individual television antennas to receive over-the-air signals and then let consumers watch that signal via the internet (cloud), they are not violating any laws regarding TV broadcast rights. Each subscriber is watching a video stream from a specific antenna – no different than if the antenna were their own atop their home.



The company has won this battle in the court system 3 times so far, and now faces another decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court will hear the case on April 22, 2014.

In his statement, Kanojia points out that, “Since the beginning of television, consumers have had a fundamental right to watch over-the-air broadcast television using an individual antenna, and they have had the right to record copies for their personal use since the U.S. Supreme Court Sony Betamax decision in 1984. These are rights that should be protected and preserved as they have been for generations.”

“The broadcasters are asking the Court to deny consumers the ability to use the cloud to access a more modern-day television antenna and DVR. They are asking the Court to confine consumers to outdated equipment and limit their access to lawful technology in order to protect a legacy business model, the success of which is built on eliminating consumer choice and competition in the marketplace. Broadcasters should not be able to use the Courts or misuse the Copyright Act to drive forward what they believe are their most lucrative business models, at the expense of consumers.

Additionally, Kanojia issued a similar statement via email to subscribers and others who have opted-in to emails from the company. In his email, Kanojia closed by thanking his supporters and encouraging them writing, “We will keep you updated as our case progresses. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. Your tweets, Facebook posts and emails of support mean a great deal to our entire team. Keep them coming and keep your voices loud in support of consumer choice and innovation.”