The feud between UK broadcasters and streaming site TVCatchup is headed to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

The UK Court of Appeal referred the case, which hinges on the legality of TVCatchup’s business model, to the court after again questioning whether websites should provide real-time channel streaming.

TVCatchup retransmits programming from broadcasters online, though it was blocked from transmitting 21 ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 channels and all content via mobiles in October 2013. The European Court of Justice had months before that ruled the service illegal.

The case echoes the legal battle US broadcast networks fought against Aereo, which ended in favour of the channels. With its business model ruled illegal, Aereo’s assets were subsequently sold off.

The CJEU’s next decision, which is likely to be couple of years away, is likely to hold similar significance in the UK.

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Categories: Articles, Catch Up, Policy, Regulation, VOD