SALT LAKE CITY – A federal judge in Salt Lake City has granted an injunction on behalf of television stations in a legal battle with an Internet start-up.
Aereo is an Internet-based TV provider, and numerous plaintiffs filed a lawsuit alleging the company engaged in copyright infringement by broadcasting content without paying re-transmission fees.
The judge granted an injunction that prevents Aereos from operating in Utah pending the outcome of a decision by a higher court. The lawsuit was filed by Fox Broadcasting, FOX 13, Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcasting.
FOX 13 General Manager Tim Ermish explained the issue.
“Aereo was trying to circumvent the rules that... Comcast, DirecTV and Dish have contracts with local broadcasters, they're called retransmission contracts, so they pay the broadcasters for their content and then resell it to the viewers,” he said.
In a statement, the CEO of Aereo called the ruling disappointing.
