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Copyright Decision In Australia Vindicates 3d-Party EPG Provider

Posted by timothy on from the facts-and-figures dept.

angry tapir writes "In a landmark decision, the High Court of Australia has ruled that Electronic Program Guide (EPG) vendor IceTV has not violated the copyright of Channel 9 by reproducing programming information in its third-party EPG. This case has been running since May 2006, when the Nine Network alleged that IceTV's electronic program guide infringed the copyright of Channel 9's television schedule."

6 of 66 comments (clear)

  1. This is great by Hecatonchires · · Score: 4, Insightful

    IceTV provide a decent product, and the big companies were trying to stifle it while they faffed around. Good to see them win.

    --

    Yay me!

  2. suddenbreakoutofcommonsense Justified by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You can't copyright a fact.

    To think anyone could argue over that for three years...

  3. This suit has always been ridiculous. by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Facts, per se, are not copyrightable. A schedule is a collection of facts. Once published, the schedule is basically public information. As long as it is not a straight copy of wording and style, they never had a case.

  4. Re:It was ridiculous in the first place! by AbRASiON · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I equate charging for a TV guide to the same thing as charging me for the price list of a store, it's lunacy.

  5. Re:Idiotic by MichaelSmith · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What are channel9 complaining about... More people having access to their programming? Surely that's a good thing

    Not if they don't sit down and watch the advertisements.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
  6. Re:Train timetables by Richard_at_work · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The big issue with the FunkWorks ruling is that train times are not facts, they are fiction. Complete and utter fiction. And therefor fully copyrightable :)