Viacom is suing Cablevision for streaming its television shows on mobile devices.
In a suit filed in Manhattan federal court, Viacom says the New York cable giant is distributing its content illegally and is seeking unspecified damages, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The dispute stems from an iPad application that Cablevision launched last April in order to stream live programming. Viacom’s suite of cable companies include MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.
Cablevision's iPad application includes access to nineteen Viacom channels, which the company said is not part of its current broadcasting agreement and violates its copyright.
For its part, Cablevision maintains that making Viacom programs available on iPads falls within its current licensing agreement with programmers.
"It is cable television service on the iPad, which functions as a television, and is delivered securely to our customers in the home on Cablevision's own proprietary network,” Cablevision said in a statement.
A Viacom spokesmen did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s requests for comment.
Cable companies entry into the streaming world is increasinly putting them in conflict with entertainment companies, who maintain that they are not being adequately compensated for shows and movies that are being streamed to subscribers.
Viacom previously sued Time Warner cable for its iPad application, but according to a court filing on Wednesday, the two companies are currently trying to come to some sort of settlement.
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