Ivi Inc. also called Ivi , is a
Seattle-based American corporation which offers a software application providing live
video streaming over the Internet for a
flat rate. Ivi (pronounced 'ivy') is the first online cable company. The
Ivi TV player is a downloadable software application that runs on
Windows,
Macintosh, or
Linux computers that offers live television over the
Internet.
Legal
Ivi has been in a large lawsuit (''
WPIX, Inc. v. ivi, Inc.'') filed on September 28, 2010 and decided on August 27, 2012
with several major US TV networks. This case has been deemed "The Case That Could Finally Put Live TV on the Internet" by
Forbes, since the outcome of the case will determine if shows streamed over the Internet will be able to compete with
cable and
satellite television. A group of four public interest groups; the
Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is an international non-profit digital rights group based in San Francisco, California. The foundation was formed on 10 July 1990 by John Gilmore, John Perry Barlow and Mitch Kapor to promote Internet ci ...
, Media Access Project, Open Technology Initiative, and
Public Knowledge filed an
amicus curiae
An ''amicus curiae'' (; ) is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to assist a court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case. The decision on ...
brief in support of Ivi stating "The law does not favor larger or better-funded entities over new or smaller ones, nor is it a bludgeon to be used by large, entrenched interests to eliminate nascent competitors".
On February 22, 2011
District Judge Naomi Buchwald granted an
injunction
An injunction is a legal and equitable remedy in the form of a special court order that compels a party to do or refrain from specific acts. ("The court of appeals ... has exclusive jurisdiction to enjoin, set aside, suspend (in whole or in pa ...
, shutting down most of the broadcast stations carried by Ivi.
Ivi and its CEO argued that the company fitted the definition of a "cable system" under section 111(f) of U.S. Copyright Law. The plaintiffs, US TV Networks, argued that Ivi doesn't fit this description.
The relevant part of copyright law reads "A cable system is a facility that “makes secondary transmissions of such signals or programs by wires, cables, microwave, or other communications channels to subscribing members of the public.”" Ivi immediately filed an appeal to the
Second Circuit Court of Appeals, but the court affirmed the district court's decision.
See also
* ''
WPIX, Inc. v. ivi, Inc.''
References
{{Reflist
External links
ivi, Inc.
Software companies based in Seattle
Software companies of the United States