Time Warner Cable (TWC) introduced its iPad TV programming app last month, but quickly pulled a bunch of channels when content owners complained. Now TWC has gone to federal court seeking a ruling that its cable contracts cover the iPad as well.
TWC has filed a request for declaratory judgment relating to the Viacom cable networks. The request asks the US District Court in Manhattan to rule that Time Warner Cable’s rights under its carriage agreement allows it to deliver the programming of this company over its cable systems for viewing on devices of its video customers’ choosing, including iPads, in their homes.
“We have steadfastly maintained that we have the rights to allow our customers to view this programming in their homes, over our cable systems, without artificial limits on the screens they can use to do so, and we are asking the court to confirm our view. With over 360,000 downloads of our TWCableTV app, it is clear that our customers welcome the convenience and flexibility our new app provides,” said Marc Lawrence-Apfelbaum, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Time Warner Cable.
Meanwhile, Viacom said it filed its own lawsuit against TWC claiming illegal use of its content on the app. It was apparently a race to the courthouse, so now we wait to see which takes precedence or whether they’ll simply be combined.
