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Supreme Court to decide on Aereo case

The Supreme Court will decide whether to review the US broadcasters’ case against online TV service Aereo on January 10, as the high-profile copyright battle enters the new year.

Broadcasters including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBCUniversal (NBCU) petitioned the Supreme Court to review their copyright infringement case against New York-based Aereo in October.

They have been attempting to close down the service, which launched in March 2012, as they argue it breaks US copyright laws and affects their ability to charge retransmission fees to cable and satellite providers.

Aereo’s streaming service allows subscribers in nine US cities to watch TV channels on mobile devices using a personal antenna but does not pay licence fees to broadcasters, unlike pay TV operators like Cablevision and Comcast.

The company previously said it would not fight the bid by broadcasters to take their copyright battle to the Supreme Court.

Broadcasters have asked the court to overturn a Second Circuit Court of Appeals decision in New York that ruled it was legal for Aereo to air local stations in the New York market.

The NFL, Viacom, the National Association of Broadcasters, PBS, Viacom, ASCAP and the Copyright Alliance are also among those to have submitted filings supporting the broadcasters’ position. After the court meets on January 10, it will announce days later whether it will put the case on its docket for 2014.

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