Fox Wants To Ban Dish's Mobile Live TV Feature

Dish Network's new Hopper set-top boxes gained a new feature where users can watch live television through their smartphone or tablet, but it seems not everyone is into such a thing. Fox has ended up asking for an injunction against Dish to ban the new mobile feature, citing that the new service breaches its licensing agreement with Dish and infringes on the network's copyrights.

In the filing, Fox mentions that "paying Dish for a satellite television subscription does not buy anyone the right to receive Fox's live broadcast signal over the internet or to make copies of Fox programs to watch [on mobile devices] because Dish does not have the right to offer these services to its subscribers in the first place."

The new features in the second-generation Hopper box allow users to watch television on their mobile devices by sending live broadcast signals over the internet to users' devices, and the service also allows subscribers to transfer recorded television shows from the DVR to users' iPads. A hearing on this issue is set for March 22.

Last year, Fox actually tried to sue Dish over the Hopper on the set-top box's ability to skip commercials. However, the case was thrown out and an appeal by Fox hasn't been ruled yet. In the end, Fox says Dish Hopper opens up a world of illegal and unethical practices, including piracy, devaluation, and unfair competition.

[via Bloomberg]