Aereo said it will begin selling online access to DVRs that can record local TV stations in Detroit on Oct. 28. The company's next market move could also mark its entry into new legal territory--the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which handles appeals from all federal cases filed in Michigan.
Aereo (or its less famous rival FilmOn X) has been sued in federal court in nearly every market where it has begun operating. The service and copyright infringement lawsuits started in New York, where federal appeals are heard by the Second Circuit. That appeals court declined to block Aereo from operating while a trial in a lower federal court plays out.
More recently, broadcasters have sued in lower federal courts in territory covered by the Tenth and First Circuits, while the Ninth Circuit could rule on an issue related to FilmOn X's case any day.
Detroit isn't the only Sixth-Circuit market on Aereo's roadmap. It has also identified Cincinnati and Columbus as targets for expansion.
It's not clear whether broadcasters will continue to sue Aereo in each market it enters. A group of broadcasters and networks asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Second Circuit's decision not to block Aereo in New York. A ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court could alter the legal landscape.
For more:
- read the Aereo press release here
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