Broadcasters Press To Ban Aereo In Utah

TV broadcasters that are suing Aereo in Utah are asking a judge to ban the service from operating immediately -- without waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on the company's legality.

“The continued presence of Aereo’s service in the Utah market while the Supreme Court proceedings unfold over the next five months threatens plaintiffs’ goodwill with viewers because it creates confusion and embeds incorrect, but lasting, impressions about Internet television retransmission services,” the broadcasters argue in papers filed with US District Court Judge Dee Benson. Aereo, like the rival company FilmOn X, allows people to stream over-the-air TV shows to devices like iPhones and iPads. TV broadcasters are suing both companies in courts throughout the country. The broadcasters say the startups infringe copyright by retransmitting shows without a license. Aereo won preliminary courtroom victories in New York and Boston, where judges refused to shutter the service before trial. But broadcasters have prevailed in California and Washington, DC, where judges ordered FilmOn X to stop streaming copyrighted programs. The Supreme Court recently agreed to rule on whether Aereo should be prohibited from operating. That court is expected to issue a decision in June 2014. Given that the ruling will affect the other pending cases, judges in New York and Boston have put the lawsuits against Aereo on hold.