Aereo suspending operations as of 11:30 today

[Shawn Mamros]

>I really think that this is a case where big money, ie. the cable companies,
>wiped out the smaller startup.

Actually, it was mostly the broadcasters who were fighting this one.  The
issue in question is the provision in the Copyright Act of 1976 requiring
cable companies to pay broadcasters for the right to retransmit their
content.  The broadcasters argued that the same provision should apply
to Aereo, and the Court agreed with that assessment.  Honestly, I have a
hard time seeing a logical counterargument to that.

It's probably long past time for the Copyright Act of 1976 to be
reevaluated in light of all of the technology changes in the past four
decades.  Good luck getting today's politicians to do that, though.

-Shawn