Washington, D.C. - The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that companies retransmitting live TV over the Internet without permission of broadcasters are in violation of copyright law. You can read about the decision here.
In response to this important ruling, the following statement can be attributed to NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton:
“NAB is gratified that Europe’s highest court has found that those retransmitting broadcast signals over the Internet must obtain the consent of the owners of the broadcasts and the materials in those broadcasts. The Court’s ruling noted the ‘high level of protection of authors’ provided under European law ‘allowing them to obtain an appropriate reward for the use of their works.’ Those seeking to retransmit U.S. broadcast signals over the Internet should be required to do no less.
“The ‘Directive’ under which the case was decided is designed to harmonize the domestic laws of countries belonging to the European Union. NAB applauds the ongoing efforts at the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva to achieve similar harmonization of laws internationally for the protection of broadcast signals transmitted over the Internet.”
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.