The US cable operator Cablevision can go employ its network PVR. The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York ruled that Cablevision‘s new network-based video recorder service does not violate TV and film studios’ copyrights, reversing a lower court’s opinion. This will allow the cable operator to roll out the service, which was already announced in 2006.
Unlike regular PVRs, Cablevision proposed a service which would allow customers to record programmes on a server at the cable operator rather than at home. This would enable the operator to also offer the service to customers who have a regular set-top box rather than just those with a PVR.
Studios had contended that saving copies of the video away from the viewers’ homes violated licensing rights by duplicating the work, calling into question notions of fair use.
The Court of Appeals has sent the case back to a New York court for renewed consideration and the studios will no doubt appeal the ruling.