/ 11.30.2010 12:00AM
Unrepentent ivi.TV Launches in Los Angeles
SEATTLE and LOS ANGELES: ivi TV, the
self-described online cable provider, announced today that it launched in Los
Angeles. The service rebroadcasts live local TV station signals without the
express consent of the stations. The ivi folks consider TV signals fair game
under general copyright law. Television
Broadcast reported ivi’s plan to launch in
Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Chicago earlier this month.
ivi launched earlier this year in Seattle and parts of New York, claiming the
right to carry broadcast signals under a collective statutory copyright
license. Wired cable and direct broadcast satellite TV providers negotiate
retransmission consent deals with broadcasters who do not elect must-carry.
ivi filed suit against broadcasters in U.S. District Court in Seattle seeking
an affirmation of its legal position. Broadcasters have filed in a New York
federal court, seeking to shut ivi down.
ivi TV carries signals from ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW and PBS affiliates. Its
service costs $5 a month and is available via a downloable app. Subscriber
numbers have not been released.
-- Deborah D. McAdams