French receiver manufacturer Aston has won reprieve in its case against Canal+ before the Court of Appeal of Paris with regards to the broadcaster’s plan to drop support for its Canal Ready CI+ product.
Last November, Canal+ announced it was to drop support for Canal Ready receivers and return to a solely proprietary system.
Initially, Aston brought the case before the Commercial Court of Paris, arguing that Canal+ was abusing its dominant position by one-sided cancelling Canal Ready support. In first instance, the court ruled that the potential impact on Aston’s market is minimal, and dismissed the case.
By contrast, the Court of Appeal now suspended the ruling of the Commercial Court until the French Competition Authority will look into the matter and reach a verdict on whether Canal+ has indeed misused its dominant market position.
