ReplayTV slapped with copyright suit

As expected, Viacom, Disney and NBC have filed a lawsuit against personal video recorder maker ReplayTV, alleging copyright infringement violations.

The media companies' suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, states ReplayTV is "arming their customers with and continuously assisting them in using unprecedented new tools for violating copyright interests in the programming they supply to various TV distribution services."

The studios/networks under Viacom, Disney and NBC also allege that ReplayTV 4000, the companies latest technology, allows viewers "at the touch of a button" to delete commercials and also send content out over the Internet.

In a joint statement, the media companies said, "In order to protect our copyrighted content and all whose livelihoods are dependent on it, we are seeking preliminary and permanent relief." - Joe Schlosser