Suits Against Personal TV Technology And The Right To Innovate Without Permission: EFF 2012 In Review Series

As the year draws to a close, EFF is looking back at the major trends influencing digital rights in 2012 and discussing where we are in the fight for free expression, innovation, fair use, and privacy. Click here to read other blog posts in this series.

This year has witnessed a few high-profile rounds of the age-old fight between Big Media and innovators who dare to create new media technologies without asking permission. This year's fights against Internet TV startup Aereo and the commercial-skipping DVR created by Dish Network are part of a sordid tradition of using copyright suits to squelch disruptive innovation. Fortunately, the innovators have won the first round in both of these cases, with help from EFF in the Aereo case. The courts refused to shut down these new technologies ahead of a trial. Both of those preliminary victories are now on appeal - and EFF will be there...