The battle over tablet TV escalates with Viacom filing a lawsuit today demanding that Cablevision stop streaming TV to the cable company’s iPad app. For Cablevision subscribers, the free Optimum app allows viewers to watch up to 300 live channels on their tablets in their homes.
“Over the last few months, we have had limited and unproductive discussions with Cablevision about licensing iPad rights,” Viacom said in its statement. “We remain open to productive discussions, but we cannot wait indefinitely while our networks are being distributed without permission.”
Cablevision, meanwhile, maintains that its app “falls within our existing cable television licensing agreements with programmers.” In other words, merely another TV screen in the home (the live TV part of the app only works on an “Optimum authorized modem” connected to a home wireless network.) Programmers like Viacom argue that they should be compensated for the additional distribution to the rapidly-expanding tablet space.
Viacom sued Time Warner Cable back in May over its streaming app, but earlier this week the two companies asked the court for a “standstill agreement” to try to work on their own to reach a deal.
