Dish Network said a U.S. District Court has said technology that the broadcast networks objected to is legal under copyright law or the Supreme Court’s recent Aereo ruling.
The ruling, released Tuesday afternoon, covers its PrimeTime Anywhere and AutoHop features, which record programming and plays it back without commercials. The court also ruled that Dish’s Slingbox technology, which moves programming from the set-top box to other devices, and its Transfers feature, which duplicates some recordings allowing users to play them back on a mobile phone or tablet without an Internet connection, did not violate copyright laws.
“This decision is the sixth in a string of victories in federal courts on both coasts for the American consumer related to our Hopper Whole-Home DVR platform. We are proud to have stood by their side in this important fight over fundamental rights of consumer choice and control,” said R. Stanton Dodge, Dish executive VP and general counsel.
“Dish is pleased that the Court has again sided with consumers by issuing a summary judgment decision upholding their rights under U.S. copyright law to use Slingbox technology and the AutoHop, PrimeTime Anytime and Transfers features of the Hopper Whole-Home HD DVR,” Dodge said. “Consumers are the winners today, as the Court sided with them on the key copyright issues in this case. This decision has far reaching significance, because it is the first to apply the Supreme Court's opinion in Aereo to other technology. We will continue to vigorously defend consumers’ rights to choice and control over their viewing experience.”
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