ivi TV and FilmOn 'are not related,' ivi says

Even as a federal court was issuing a temporary restraining order against streaming media provider FilmOn, essentially shutting down its broadcast TV-on-the-Web business, its counterpart, ivi TV released a statement saying, essentially, that it is not FilmOn and, despite similar business plans, should not be lumped in with that provider's ongoing fight with broadcasters.

ivi TV"Unlike FilmOn, ivi TV fits the copyright definition of a cable system, restricts its service to the United States, fully encrypts and protects all the content it delivers and charges a fee to subscribers for its service," an ivi TV news release stated.

In other words, ivi TV considers itself a legal cable system, although broadcasters have taken that definition to court as well.

"ivi TV and FilmOn are not related. ivi has subscribers who pay; FilmOn did not and it was shut down," ivi TV Chairman Ron Erickson said in the news release.

On its Web site, FilmOn doesn't say it's charging for the content itself, but it does require a $9.95 a month fee for equipment needed to receive the service.

For more:
- see this news release

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