3 Count: Pausing Aereo

Jonathan BaileyJanuary 15, 2014

2 minutes read

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1: New York Judge in Aereo Lawsuit Won’t Crown Winner (Not Yet, Anyhow)

First off today, Eriq Gardner at The Hollywood Reporter Esquire reports that the New York judge that previously declined to issue an injunction against Aereo is now holding off on ruling on a summary judgment until the Supreme Court, which has agree to take the case, has its say.

Aereo is a TV streaming service that uses a series of tiny antennas, one per customer, to capture and stream over-the-air broadcast television. They have been sued by broadcasters in a variety of states but none have issued an injunction against the service. This lawsuit, which was the first filed, was recently taken up by the Supreme Court.

The move is widely expected as any lower court decision could easily be overruled by the Supreme Court when it makes its ruling, likely this summer. As such, the court acknowledged that ruling on petitions for summary judgment, which were filed by both sides, “Would not be an efficient use of resources.” However, discovery and other pre-trial activities will continue. The same will likely be true in other courts where Aereo cases are being heard, as well as cases involving Aereo’s competitor, Filmon.

2: GTA 5 PC Footage Gets Copyright Strike From Take-Two Interactive

Next up today, William Usher at Gaming Blend reports that a leaked video claiming to be footage from a highly-anticipated PC release for Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5) was taken down from YouTube due to a copyright complaint by Take Two Interactive, one of the companies that helped release the game.

The takedown is interesting because there currently is a variety of fake GTA 5 PC videos on YouTube that have not been touched by the game’s copyright holders. The removal has actually given the leak credibility and has led to further rumors about the game’s possible jump to PC.

On that note, other sites are reporting rumors that the game will be released on PC in March after several months of success on the major consoles.

3: Counting Crows – Counting Crows Sue Over Digital Royalties

Finally today, Wenn at Contact Music writes that the band the Counting Crows have sued their former record label, Universal Music Group, alleging that the label has underpaid them for royalties on digital downloads.

The band, like many other acts, alleges that digital downloads should be treated as licenses, not sales. The difference in royalties is significant as artists receive 50% of all licenses but only 15% of all sales.

The Counting Crowes joins a slew of other bands in filing such lawsuits. One musician, “Weird Al” Yankovic, recently settled his case against Sony.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today. We will be back tomorrow with three more copyright links. If you have a link that you want to suggest a link for the column or have any proposals to make it better. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to hear from you.