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Internet television broadcasting company Aereo hit a legal road bump today after a Utah judge granted a temporary injunction to bar the service in eight US states. On that list are Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, along with some of Idaho and Montana. However the decision mainly affects Aereo in Salt Lake City and Denver, cities where the company already provides service.
Headed to the Supreme Court in April
In a decision reported by The Wall Street Journal, US District Court Judge Dale Kimball said Aereo was required to follow the same guidelines as cable companies, and broker deals to retransmit programming. That's something Aereo has fought against, arguing that it's offering the same thing people can get over the air for free on their TV. The issue heads to the US Supreme Court on April 22nd, and is expected to set a precedent for future internet TV upstarts.
Aereo launched in the beginning of 2012, and was quickly sued by broadcasters who took aim at its legality. The company uses millions of dime-sized antennas to pick up over the air TV programming, then delivers it to people online. The company makes money off premium plans that offer extra features like DVR and multi-channel recording. It's currently available in 10 cities in the US including New York and Boston, though has run into issues with capacity and turned away new users in New York and Atlanta.
