FilmOn Appeals D.C. District Court Injunction

As expected, FilmOn has petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to overturn a district court decision blocking the company from delivering network affiliated local TV stations in all but markets within the jurisdiction of the Second Circuit.

FilmOn's brief in the appeal will be due in 30-45 days, according to the company's attorney.

U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer last week denied FilmOn's petition to reconsider her decision to enjoin the service from delivering those signals.

The injunction is effective in D.C. and was applied to other markets nationwide, though not in markets in the Second Circuit, which declined to enjoin a similar service, Aereo.

Collyer issued the original injunction Sept. 5, suggesting that FilmOn was violating copyright protections by delivering TV stations signals without permission or compensation. The injunction was sought by the Big Four broadcast networks, Gannett and Allbritton, who sued FilmOn for copyright infringement.

"This is not a work-around, this is abiding by the law," said FilmOn founder Alki David of his TV station-delivery technology.

FilmOn delivers local TV station signals as part of an over-the-top video service using remote antennas. It does not pay broadcasters and, Like Aereo, argues that it is simply providing its online subscribers remote access to TV antennas supplying them the free TV they are entitled. But broadcasters disagree and asked the court to block both services.