Viacom Goes After Cablevision Over Live iOS Video Streaming
June 23, 2011
Viacom sued Cablevision Systems Corp. on Thursday, accusing the cable provider of unlawfully streaming video content via mobile devices, such as the iPad.
Strangely, this occurs one day after Viacom and another cable provider, Time Warner, looked to end a similar feud, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Bethpage, New York-based Cablevision, released its Optimum for iPad app on April 2. It allows current Cablevision customers to stream to an iPad any show they already subscribe to via their cable subscription.
Soon after Optimum for iPad was released, Viacom wrote Cablevision a nasty letter, which we published at the time, demanding the cable company pull the app.
Now Viacom is taking legal steps to force Cablevision to stop offering the app in the App Store.
According to its lawsuit filed today in Manhattan court, Viacom said it is:
"Committed to meeting consumer demand for broadband delivery of its programming. To this end, Viacom has reached reasonable agreements with several emerging and established digital media distributors so that they can stream Viacom's content and also provide an outstanding user experience. What Viacom cannot do, however, is permit one of its contracting partners, Cablevision, to unilaterally change the terms of its contractual relationship," it said in the lawsuit.Cablevision operates in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and parts of Pennsylvania. They did not immediately comment on today’s filing. Earlier today, we reported Viacom and Time Warner had decided to end their legal fight over video streaming rights, hoping to resolve the issue without going to court. This case revolved around Time Warner's TWCable TV app for iPad. While we said at the time, we were happy to see both sides looking for a resolution, we were concerned too. We fear that any agreement could mean higher prices for cable customers in general. Most likely, Viacom’s move today is actually a signal it is willing to deal with Cablevision like it is with Time Warner. While it concerned the likely Time Warner/Viacom agreement, our comments are also valuable here too. We stated: Most likely, Viacom channels will return, but only after Time Warner agrees to pass additional costs onto its customers. And if this happens, it could have far-reaching consequences for cable and/or satellite subscribers as a whole. It would embolden both content creators and providers alike to simply charge customers more for service they are already getting. In the meantime, the Optimum for iPad app remains in the App Store and still allows full streaming of live TV. What do you think? Leave your comments below.
