Disney Sues CableVision over Video on Demand

Monday, May 29, 2006

All DVR News recently reported on CableVisions intentions to release a new remote DVR service which would allow subscribers of their DVR service to have their shows recorded on a remote DVR. Now Disney and three other Hollywood studios are suing CableVision over copyright infringement.

The use of DVRs have clashed with copyright law since the start and the new remote DVR services is a new grey are that has arguments on both sides. CableVision disagrees with Disney and insists the service is identical to having your own DVR, the only difference being the location of the DVR, they deny that this is a video on demand service.

Production studios such as Disney see this differently. Disney share the view with other production studios that CableVision's remote DVR service infringes their copyright and provides a video on demand service storing digital copies of Disney's television broadcasts and then transmitting them over the internet from a centrally located server.

The Motion Picture Association of America which represents Disney and other production studios such as Universal Pictures have stated that Cablevision is actually copying, storing and retransmitting their copyrighted content. "A commercial entity can't establish a for-profit, on-demand service without authorization from copyright owners whose content is used on that service," said Kori Bernard, a spokeswoman for the group.

The remote DVR service offered by CableVision is not currently clearly defined in broadcasting copyright law and this new case with Disney and the other Hollywood studios suing CableVision will begin to define broadcasting laws regarding remote DVR services for the future.