US: Hopper’s commercial-skipping services ruled legal in blow to broadcasting sector
A federal judge handed down a ruling Wednesday that said Dish Network’s Hopper service, which allows television viewers to watch recorded shows without commercials, does not infringe copyright law. The win for Dish is a fresh blow to the once-dominant television media sector, which profits from commercials, according to ex-senior antitrust official at the US Department of Justice Gene Kimmelman. The ruling is “another indication of the slow erosion of a dominant media company’s control over distribution of content,” he said. According to reports, the ruling likely means competitors that offer similar program-recording services will follow-suit and allow viewers to skip commercials altogether. The decision ends a lawsuit initiated by Fox Broadcasting, which argued the practice violates US copyright law; a lower court rejected the case, a decision backed Wednesday by the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Judge Sidney Thomas emphasized in his ruling that viewers can do anything with their television content except resell it.
Full Content: Washington Post
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
Justice Department Moves to End NCAA Transfer Rule
May 30, 2024 by
CPI
Kenya’s Competition Authority Proposes Tougher Regulations on Big Tech
May 30, 2024 by
CPI
KKR Secures EU Antitrust Approval for $24 Billion Acquisition of Telecom Italia’s Fixed-Line Network
May 30, 2024 by
CPI
European Court Sides with Tech Giants in Italian Regulatory Dispute
May 30, 2024 by
CPI
US Steel and Nippon Steel Secure International Approvals for $14.9B Merger
May 30, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Merger Guidelines Retrospective
May 21, 2024 by
CPI
Mergers of Complements
May 21, 2024 by
CPI
Personality Traits, Private Equity, and Merger Analysis
May 21, 2024 by
CPI
The 2023 Merger Guidelines: Lessons in the Importance of Incipiency, Modern Economics, and Monopsony
May 21, 2024 by
CPI
The 2023 Merger Guidelines: Sharpening Merger Analysis
May 21, 2024 by
CPI