Ad skipping TV protected in court

An effort by multiple TV networks to block a new service from Dish Network called Autohop that allows viewers to skip television ads entirely has been rejected by the legal system. Fox, Comcast, NBC, and CBS have all sued Dish Networks on the grounds of copyright law infringement. The Hopper digital video recorder allows users to record and store prime time shows from these four networks. The Autohop lets viewers skip advertisements completely at the press of a button rather than simply fast forward through them. Fox network has already said it will appeal the decision to permit Autohop, insisting the service is “destroying the fundamental underpinnings of the broadcast television ecosystem.” Dish Network countered by calling the rejection of a preliminary injunction a “victory for common sense.” Fox had sought a preliminary injunction ahead of a decision by the court about whether or not Autohop violated copyright law by essentially creating unauthorized copies of the shows. The ruling has not yet been made public but Dish Network did release a statement from Judge Dolly Gee stating Fox was unlikely to be able to prove that it had suffered irreversible damage from the copies Dish made. This does not necessarily suggest that Dish will not be found guilty of copyright infringement, but rather that the networks are not likely to be able to sue Dish.