Cablevision Systems (CVC) lost its case to introduce a network-based DVR service to its subscribers in New York. A number of Hollywood studios and television networks opposed them in the law suit.
The case was based upon Cablevision's plan to create a DVR system that was network-based, called Remote Storage DVR or RS-DVR for short. The result would have been that they wouldn't have had to install set-up boxes in all the homes in the area, saving them a ton of maintenance and administration costs. The company has already installed 500,000 set-up boxes in the area.
The TV studios and networks said in their two suits that because the cable operator would empower subscribers to store programs on Cablevision's own servers, they would be breaking copyright agreements by basically retransmitting 
the programs.
Judge Denny Chin of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan agreed saying that "The RS-DVR is clearly a service, and I hold that in providing this service, it is Cablevision that does the copying."
Some of the companies filing the two law suits were CBS Corp. (CBS-A), News Corp. (NWS-A), Time Warner (TWX) and Disney (DIS), which charged the cable company with breaking U.S. copyright laws.
"We are disappointed by the judge's decision, and continue to believe that remote-storage DVRs are consistent with copyright law and offer compelling benefits for consumers - including lower costs and broader availability of this popular technology," Cablevision said in the statement. The company is deciding whether to appeal or not.
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