AutoHop Lawsuit to Be Heard in LA

Networks want to halt Dish from wiping out ads on DVR

By Jon Lafayette -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/9/2012 4:10:42 PM

Fox said a judge has ruled that lawsuits over Dish Network's commercial skipping AutoHop service will be heard in a Los Angeles court, rather than in New York, where Dish wanted the case heard.

Fox, NBCUniversal and CBS all sued Dish in Los Angeles over AutoHop. Dish preemptively filed a suit in New York, where a previous case involving networked DVRs offered a possible precedent.

"We are pleased that the court has determined that Fox, as the true victim and plaintiff here, should have the right to proceed in its chosen forum in the 9^th Circuit," Fox said in a statement. "Now we move on to the real issue at hand -- demonstrating that Dish Network has created and marketed a product with the clear goal of breaching its license with Fox, violating copyrights and destroying the fundamental underpinnings of the broadcast television business -- which damages not only Fox and the other major networks, but also the hundreds of local stations around the country. We look forward to trying and winning the case on its merits."