Analysis: iPad TV apps lawsuits could end in settlements

In the cable TV industry, lawsuits have a way of lingering for years--witness the TiVo-Dish Network patent spat--but could the recent round of lawsuits over iPad TV viewing apps be resolved fairly quickly in out-of-court settlements? The Hollywood Reporter has an interesting, in-depth take on why that might and should be the case.

The analysis points toward a likely ambiguity in the legal language surrounding under what conditions the programming can be distributed and what happens when a device like an iPad is thrust into the situation. Also at issue is the potential lost advertising and apparent inability to accurately track viewing audiences on alternative devices. Finally, the story also notes that the lawsuits involving Viacom (NYSE: VIA), Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and Cablevision Systems (NYSE: CVC) also echo tussles that have been going on between content owners and distributors for the last century or so.

For more:
- read the Hollywood Reporter analysis

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Viacom and Time Warner Cable took a litigation timeout to negotiate