Aereo to talk patents

Broadcasters will get two hours to grill Internet-TV service Aereo on the patents it holds, despite the company’s objections, a New York magistrate judge ruled.

Judge Henry Pitman ruled that Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia and Chief Technology Officer Joseph Lipowski must submit to one hour each of deposition regarding Aereo’s patents. The deposition will come as part of the copyright-infringement case between Aereo and broadcasters, who claim the company is infringing their copyrights by digitally streaming broadcast content. Aereo has argued that its technology is “not substantially different from what consumers could accomplish with off-the-shelf components,” which could mean the company is not irreparably harming broadcasters, Judge Pitman wrote. However, in its patent applications, Aereo claimed its technology is new in that it allows users to view broadcast content on “other video-capable devices.”