More than eight years into a legal battle with major broadcasters, EchoStar may have to turn off access to broadcast networks for as many as 800,000 Dish customers — mostly rural — who have been relying on distant-market signals. The company appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court after a May ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th District that deemed the transmission illegal and ordered a lower court to issue a permanent injunction against the practice. The company made an emergency appeal to the highest court to stay that injunction but a decision by Justice Clarence Thomas to let it stand makes it likely that EchoStar will have to pull the service pending an appeal to the Supreme Court on the merits. EchoStar said it will impact less than 10 percent of its customers but, as analysts pointed out, it could cost the company millions in lost revenue.
WP: “The ruling is a double victory for media mogul Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp., which owns Fox and DirecTV Group Inc., the nation’s largest satellite television company.”
Related: Court Rules EchoStar DVRs Infringe On TiVo Patents Order To Disconnect Is Stayed
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