FilmOn network access blocked
November 24, 2010
A federal judge has temporarily blocked FilmOn.com from streaming live television shows on the Internet. In their suit CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC and Disney said FilmOn.com “has been streaming over the Internet … numerous broadcast television stations and the copyrighted programming on those stations – all without the consent of the affected stations or copyright owners.”
The US District Judge in New York ordered FilmOn.com to explain why it shouldn’t be subject to a preliminary injunction. In the meantime, she blocked FilmOn.com from streaming copyrighted content on the Internet or to mobile phones pending a full hearing on the order to show cause. The date of the hearing has yet to be determined.
“We respect the court’s decision in this matter and have temporarily ceased the retransmission of free network television on FilmOn,” said company CEO Alki David. FilmOn.com and a rival site, iviTV, insist that it’s legal to retransmit local broadcast signals without paying copyright fees, citing a copyright exemption for cable TV operators.