A group of ten U.S. movie studios, three TV networks
and the NFL and NBA have filed a pair of copyright-
infringement suits against Toronto-based iCraveTV.com "that
seek to shut the company down," according to David Segal of
the WASHINGTON POST. The Web site was sued for "offering"
live TV programming from 17 U.S. and Canadian stations for
viewing over the Internet, which the studios, networks and
leagues claim is "infringing on copyrighted material and
violating U.S. law." The suits claim in order to offer live
TV programming online, iCraveTV would have to "negotiate a
price for the content just like any other station." Motion
Picture Association of America Chair Jack Valenti, on
iCraveTV: "It's brazen thievery." But iCraveTV CEO and
former FSN Pittsburgh VP & GM William Craig said that the
site, which launched on November 30 and attracted 800,000
visitors last month, is allowed to broadcast TV signals
online under Canadian law. One of the suits teams the NFL,
NBA and NBAP, while the other one includes Fox, Time Warner
Entertainment, Columbia Pictures and Paramount Pictures.
Attorneys for the two groups "coordinated the timing of the
litigation" and filed them both in federal court in
Pittsburgh. An NFL spokesperson said that the league "wants
the company shut down immediately" and is seeking damages of
$150,000 per broadcast, as well as actual and punitive
damages (WASHINGTON POST, 1/21). Craig: "iCraveTV believes
it is acting in compliance with all applicable laws and will
defend itself actively and vigorously" (OTTAWA CITIZEN,
1/21). The leagues claim that iCraveTV has broadcast 33 NFL
games and seven NBA games from stations in Buffalo and
Toronto since November. Because the site collects fees from
the programming by displaying 30-second ads during the
broadcasts, their suit also "alleges unfair competition"
because the ads appear "opposite commercials already
appearing in the original broadcast" of the games. The
leagues have asked a U.S. District Judge "to grant
preliminary and permanent injunctions barring [iCraveTV]
from broadcasting more games" (TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 1/21).
