Moments after Aereo’s chief investor declared the company “over” in light of a Supreme Court ruling against it, Aereo CEO and founder Chet Kanojia defiantly said the company’s “work is not done.”
Kanojia pledged to “continue to fight for our consumers and fight to create innovative technologies.” That seemed to contradict the intentions of investor Barry Diller, who told CNBC after the ruling, “”We did try, but it’s over now.”
Also read: Broadcasters’ Stocks Rise on Aereo Victory
The court ruled 6-3 Wednesday that Aereo’s business model, in which it uses millions of antennas to beam broadcasters’ signals to subscribers’ devices, violates broadcasters’ copyrights.
Here is Kanojia’s full statement this morning:
“Today’s decision by the United States Supreme Court is a massive setback for the American consumer. We’ve said all along that we worked diligently to create a technology that complies with the law, but today’s decision clearly states that how the technology works does not matter. This sends a chilling message to the technology industry. It is troubling that the Court states in its decision that, ‘to the extent commercial actors or other interested entities may be concerned with the relationship between the development and use of such technologies and the Copyright Act, they are of course free to seek action from Congress.’ That begs the question: Are we moving towards a permission-based system for technology innovation?
Also read: Aereo Investor Barry Diller Says Company ‘Is Over’
“Consumer access to free-to-air broadcast television is an essential part of our country’s fabric. Using an antenna to access free-to-air broadcast television is still meaningful for more than 60 million Americans across the United States. And when new technology enables consumers to use a smarter, easier to use antenna, consumers and the marketplace win. Free-to-air broadcast television should not be available only to those who can afford to pay for the cable or satellite bundle.”
“Justice Scalia’s dissent gets it right. He calls out the majority’s opinion as ‘built on the shakiest of foundations.’ Justice Scalia goes on to say that ‘The Court vows that its ruling will not affect cloud-storage providers and cable television systems, see ante, at 16-17, but it cannot deliver on that promise given the imprecision of its results-driven rule.’
“We are disappointed in the outcome, but our work is not done. We will continue to fight for our consumers and fight to create innovative technologies that have a meaningful and positive impact on our world.”