FilmOn can use cable systems’ copyright license to stream broadcast TV

Lots of our TV-watching comes over the Internet today. Series programming, reality shows, movies, and even sports are available through Internet-based subscription services—nearly everything except for broadcast TV. That’s because many broadcast stations, whose signals go out over the public airwaves for all to receive, have fought tooth and nail in the courts to keep their signals off of the Internet. Internet subscription services like ivi, FilmOn, and Aereo that agreed to follow the same rules, and pay the same copyright royalties, as traditional cable systems have up to now been denied. Last week, a court broke new ground. Judge George W. Wu of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled that TV streaming service FilmOn was identical to a cable system for purposes of copyright, and can stream local broadcast channels, including affiliates of NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox, as long as it pays the fees set by law. This sensible ruling rejects the Internet-phobic position taken by broadcasters and the U.S. Copyright Office, a position that privileges established players like Comcast/NBCUniversal while locking out newer competitors. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/07/filmon-can-use-cable-systems-copyright-license-stream-broadcast-tv http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/2015/07/articles/a-compulsory-license-for-internet-tv-platforms-to-retransmit-broadcast-tv-one-us-district-court-considering-filmonx-seems-to-think-so/