In a letter to consumers, Aereo founder and CEO Chet Kanojia (pictured) said he had been touched by the tweets, emails and Facebook posts about the importance of his "cloud-based antenna service" after the Supreme Court ruled last week that it was illegally providing a public performance without paying copyright fees.
But he wants those people to try and reach out and touch lawmakers.
“Today, I’m asking you to raise your hands and make your voices heard. Tell your lawmakers how disappointed you are that the nation’s highest court issues a decision that could deny you the right to use the antenna of our choice to access live over-the-air broadcast television,” Kanojia said in the letter.
The broadcast networks sued Aereo, claiming that Aereo’s service violated copyright laws. After the ruling came down, Aereo suspended its service on Saturday.
An Aereo spokesperson had no comment on just what legislative action Kanojia was urging.
Below is the complete text of Aereo’s letter.
A Letter to Our Consumers: Standing Together for Innovation, Progress and Technology - Let's Raise Our Voices
On Saturday, many of you received the news that we decided to pause our operations temporarily, as a result of the United States Supreme Court's reversal of a lower court decision in favor of Aereo.
Your response in support of the Aereo team has been overwhelming and touching. Your tweets, emails and Facebook posts have made it clear how important it is for so many Americans to have access to a cloud-based antenna to watch live broadcast television. Many of you have asked, "What can we do?"
Today, I'm asking you to raise your hands and make your voices heard. Tell your lawmakers how disappointed you are that the nation's highest court issued a decision that could deny you the right to use the antenna of your choice to access live over-the-air broadcast television. Tell them your stories of why having access to a cloud-based antenna is important to you and your families. Show them you care about this issue.
Visit the updated ProtectMyAntenna.org, find your representatives and send tweets, emails and Facebook messages asking them to take action to protect your right to use the antenna of your choice to access live free-to-air broadcasts, including the ability to use a cloud-based antenna.
Don't let your voices be silenced. Let's stand together for innovation, progress, and technology.
Thank you for your continued support. We are truly grateful.
Yours truly,
Chet Kanojia
John Eggerton contributed to this report.
