Fox News Suffers Major Legal Defeat to TVEyes

US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein issued a significant "fair use" ruling, and in the process, handed Fox News a major legal loss in its attempts to protect its news shows from exploitation.

The lawsuit concerns TVEyes, which might not be widely known, but is used by MSNBC, ABC, CBS, Reuters and Bloomberg to monitor what is being said on Fox News and more than 1,400 other television and radio stations. Besides use by media organization, TVEyes' clients also include the White House, 100 members of Congress, the Department of Defense, the American Red Cross, AARP, Goldman Sachs, the Association of Trial Lawyers and many others. These customers create customized search terms and are able to get access to transcripts and video clips. Fox News has warned that such a service -- because it also allows those who pay a flat fee of $500 a month to watch live streams -- will erode its ratings and "decimate" its business.
There was even more at stake.