The new head of the US Copyright Office, Register of Copyrights, Karyn Temple says that the permitted use of ‘distant’ TV network signals free of charge has outlived its usefulness and needs to be scrapped. The legislation (the STELAR Act, Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization) expires at the end of this year. In […]
Speciality satellite services company RigNet, based in Houston, Texas, says it has reached a settlement with Inmarsat over a disputed contract claim. RigNet supplies maritime and terrestrial connectivity. Inmarsat filed the arbitration with the International Centre for Dispute Resolution in October 2016 concerning a January 2014 ‘take or pay’ agreement to purchase up to $65 […]
A Federal appeals court has ruled that a previous $21 million patent award against EchoStar subsidiary Hughes Network Systems, and in favour of Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems, is valid and can stand. Reportedly, the Court said there was substantial evidence to find the original Texas jury’s verdict in August 2017 that satellite-based high-speed Internet […]
Spanish OTT players such as Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime Video, Sky NOW and DAZN – among others – will soon be obliged by law to pay the so-called RTVE tax to finance the Spanish public broadcaster. The Spanish government is adapting into national legislation the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) which states as one of […]
The European findings of the 2019 Pay-TV Innovation Forum, a global research programme designed to explore the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the pay-TV and content industries, produced by content protection and multiscreen television solutions provider NAGRA in partnership with research and strategy consultancy MTM, highlights that pay-TV executives are becoming more optimistic about responding […]
The US Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC), in partnership with NERA Economic Consulting, has published a study, Impacts of Digital Video Piracy on the US Economy, detailing the economic impact digital video piracy has on the US economy. While the proliferation of streaming services provides consumers with unprecedented choice, content, and convenience, […]
Analysts at MoffettNathanson (MN) called the deal ‘The Long & Winding Road’ almost a month ago, but even they could be excused for not expecting an even greater and much longer suite of negotiations to emerge. The nuts and bolts are that giant telco T-Mobile is looking to buy Sprint in a $26 billion deal. […]
A new filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and commenting on the C-Band Alliance’s plan to sell off 180 MHz of satellite spectrum for 5G, has thrown up some important concerns about the scheme. In particular, the letter expresses concerns about potential extremely harmful interference from new commercial wireless applications in the 3.7-4.2 GHz […]
Cairo-based satellite operator Nilesat has barred three Iranian channels from its transmissions, one of which is the much-criticised Press TV. Reportedly, the move comes following the recent pan-Arab summit in Mecca where discussions included the need to adopt a tougher approach to what a Saudi newspaper described as “the poison” of Iranian propaganda. As well […]
V-Nova has become a member of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) – the international non-profit organisation that develops digital television standards. ATSC is currently focused on the commercial rollout of its 3.0 specification for digital terrestrial broadcasting. It represents the standardisation of a decade of technology advancement for how TV services are delivered, including […]