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American Court issues injunction in case relating to re-transmission of broadcast signals over internet
NEW DELHI: Insisting that it was not striking a blow against new communications technology, the American Supreme Court has ruled that the engineers at the new firm of Aereo had — so far — not found a way to avoid violating television networks’ copyright privileges by delivering their programmes to Aereo’s customers for a small monthly fee.
In what is clearly a landmark decision, the SC reversed a lower court decision denying an injunction to broadcasters in a case in which the court considered “whether a company ‘publicly performs’ a copyrighted television programme when it retransmits a broadcast of that program to thousands of paid subscribers over the Internet.”
The petition was filed by American Broadcasting Companies against Aereo.
The case arose from a broadcaster petition to reverse a lower court ruling that denied an injunction against Aereo.
The injunction was sought to shut down the service while the question of copyright was determined.
Broadcasters claim Aereo is violating their copyright by reselling TV signals—like a cable operator—without permission. Aereo says it is not reselling signals, but “renting” individual antennas to monthly subscribers who pay $8 to $12 monthly for the multichannel service targeting second-screen devices.
However, senior Supreme Court lawyer Amy Howe who is an expert on copyright and edits the SCOTUS Blog wrote: “Aereo performs petitioner’s works publicly within the meaning of the transmit clause of the Copyright Act.”
Analysing the order, the blog said the analytical technique the Court used in finding a likely copyright violation by Aereo was to compare its streaming of internet-based TV programmes to cable TV systems’ snatching of TV broadcasts out of the airwaves for re-delivery to customers. Congress had meant to bar that kind of programming in a major 1976 revision of the Copyright Act, the Court said, and it applied that change directly to Aereo’s clever new business model.
The over-the-air TV broadcast industry had taken the case to the Supreme Court, claiming that its very survival was at stake. Aereo’s system, the industry contended, was offering a very cheap version of TV programming to its customers while paying not a cent in royalties to the TV networks and their program developers. This was threatening to draw the networks’ own paying customers away, depriving it of revenues that have been replacing their declining take from advertising, the TV firms said.
The Court, in its six-to-three ruling, said nothing about rescuing the TV broadcasters, basing its ruling on a fairly simple application of what it means to “perform” a copyrighted program through distribution to “the public.” Aereo’s system, Justice Stephen G. Breyer wrote for the majority, both performs the copyrighted programs and does so through delivery to the public.
Aereo has developed a system in which it uses thousands of tiny antennas, each tuned to respond to an individual customer’s internet demand for a particular TV programme, and through those antennas it delivers to each customer only their own personal copy. Aereo contended that it simply was supplying the technology hardware — like a DVD recorder — to enable its customers to get access to TV programmes that were broadcast over the air.
The Court rejected that claim, concluding that Aereo was not simply an equipment provider. It was putting on the TV shows for its customers, the public.
However the Court said it was issuing only a narrow ruling. It said it was dealing, at this point, only with Aereo’s system so far as it enabled its viewers to view copyrighted TV programmes “live,” or after only a brief delay. Justice Breyer stressed that the decision said nothing about downloading a TV programme in order to recover it and keep it on hand for somewhat later viewing. Justice Breyer also said the new decision was not dealing with other potential time-shifting download technologies.
Aereo’s case will now return to lower courts, and it appears that Aereo may have some opportunity there to salvage some of what its offers to its customers.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
