Cablevision DVR Case

Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals in N.Y. issued a decision lifting an injunction that prohibited Cablevision from offering its customers space on its servers to store television for later viewing.  The Supreme Court is considering whether to grant certiori in the case and, in January, the asked the Obama administration if it wanted to weigh in on the matter.  See the article here.

I thought this was interesting as we spoke briefly in class on the matter of TiVo and the time-shifting aspects of recording programs (a la Sony).  I think this case also shows some clear boundaries outlining some prominent stakeholders in a copyright case.  Movie studios and film networks are teaming up to argue that the Supreme Court should reverse the COA decision.  On the other side, Cable companies are hoping that the decision will stand as it would save them millions by not having to buy and install DVR boxes in individual homes.