Virgin Media has won an appeal ruling confirming it didn’t infringe European patents for interactive programme guides held by Rovi’s Gemstar-TV Guide International because the patents were deemed invalid. The ruling by a three-judge panel in the Court of Appeal in London upholds a lower court decision from 2009 that two of Gemstar’s three patents […]
A licensee has had a conviction for screening foreign satellite football overturned by the High Court in London. A pub in the Midlands was originally convicted and fined £500 (€600) in June 2009 for showing games using an Arab Radio and Television (ART) Network system, after the case was brought by Media Protection Services (MPS). […]
The Spanish Competition watchdog, CNC, has imposed a E500,000 fine on Mediapro, shareholder in La Sexta, for abuse of dominant position in football TV rights. CNC argues that Mediapro is abusing its competitive position by hindering the exploitation of football TV rights to the Spanish Football League and the King’s Cup by other TV operators. […]
International Launch Services (ILS), the Washington-located company that is best known for its Proton rocket launches from Kazhakstan, is complaining to the European Union about what it claims is the unfair subsidisation of arch-rival Arianespace satellite launch activities. Ariane launches its rockets from Kourou in French Guiana, and on March 17th received a €250 million […]
UK rights holders from the music and film industries have identified about 100 websites that they want ISPs to block. Under a voluntary code content owners and ISPs are trying to work out, rights owners would pass evidence of illegal filesharing sites to ISPs, which would then take action against those sites. However, the proposals […]
The UK government has admitted that it cannot implement legislation to curb Internet piracy until spring 2012 at the earliest, as it prepares for a legal battle in the High Court. The already-delayed Digital Economy Act (DEA) will be challenged by BT and TalkTalk this week in a judicial review. The two companies aim to […]
Web creator Sir Tim Berners-Lee stressed the importance of net neutrality to the UK government. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport held talks with ISPs, content providers, broadcasters, mobile operators and trade bodies to discuss issues surrounding the management of web traffic. Ed Vaizey, communications and creative industries minister, chaired discussions and is sceptic […]
Broadcast Australia has called on the Federal Government to reconsider the costs involved in moving towns and communities onto satellite-based delivery of digital television signals. Speaking at a Senate Committee, Broadcast Australia chief executive Graeme Barclay said satellite-based services should be kept to a minimum. “The public policy intent and impact (of the measures of […]
A Paris’ appeal court has found against Google on four counts in a case brought by several content rights owners. Google was ordered to pay €430,000 damages and court costs. The material – which included Arte and Canal Plus co-productions – appeared in Google searches and Google video even after the plaintiffs had notified the […]
Vivendi’s Canal Plus unit didn’t abide by commitments made to France’s antitrust regulator when it bought a rival in 2006, French newspaper La Tribune has reported, saying it has seen a preliminary report by the regulator. The authority is probing Canal Plus’s practices following the purchase of competitor TPS, and is expected to publish the […]