Posted on 06/29/2009 12:07:54 PM PDT by shove_it
The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to consider a legal challenge by television networks and Hollywood studios to Cablevision Systems Corp.'s next-generation digital video recorder, clearing the way for the cable company to offer the new service this year.
The networks and studios argued that Cablevision's new remote-storage DVR violated federal copyright laws.
Cablevision's service would allow customers to record and store television shows on central computer servers maintained by Cablevision instead of having to record them on expensive DVR cable boxes installed in their homes.
Cablevision says the system would allow it to provide DVR services at lower costs, which could lead to a rise in new subscribers to a technology that allows viewers to watch programs whenever they choose and to skip commercials while they do so.
Among those who sued to block Cablevision's service were General Electric Co.'s NBC; CBS Corp.; Walt Disney Co.'s ABC; and News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox. News Corp. owns Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal.
The media companies argued that Cablevision's new service would illegally copy their programs without a license. A New York federal trial judge agreed in 2007, giving the challengers an initial legal victory. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, however, overturned that ruling last summer and sided with Cablevision.
The 2nd Circuit said the remote-DVR service was not that different from a VCR and that Cablevision was not directly liable for copies of programs that are made at a customer's request.
The Supreme Court, without comment, chose Monday to leave that ruling in place.
[...]
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
It should also allow them to inject commercials dynamically based on who the customer is, which will raise ad rates, and it should allow them to log who actually watches commercials and who doesn't.
ping
hell if I dont fast farward through the commercials on my dvr, I use the time to go to the can or hit the fridge.
every 5 minutes? see a doctor.
yes....Doctor House, paging Doctor House....
Calling Doctor Howard, Dr. Fine, Doctor Howard.
I have an older DVR that doesn’t know which channel it’s recording, so it will record PPV. This will obviously not allow that, LOL.
I’m keeping my old DVR. :)
Now I don’t have to be interrupted by gold, phony mortgage loans, you can be beautiful too for a price, excercise made easy (the machine does everything magically) along with diet drugs to make you lose those unwanted pounds in seconds, call me I am lonely for a big, big price and your future by one of our guaranteed star gazers and my favorite, male enhancements enticing you to the thrill of your life moments. Of course, if you don’t prefer duo; you can buy some little contraption sold by a little old lady that will compensate.
Does anyone know how this even will affect my ability to skip commercials?... I must say I don't feel comfortable with the idea of having a cable company scrutinize everything i watch and how I watch it.
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