NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
Hollywood Studios and the National Football League are going to battle with TiVo Inc., the maker of digital video recorders, alleging that its technology compromises the copyright of their shows, according to a published report Thursday
According to the Washington Post, Hollywood Studios and the National Football League said in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that they are concerned computer enthusiasts would use TiVo's technology to capture the shows that broadcasters transmit in digital form over the airwaves and begin trading them online.
The process would be similar to how millions of online music files are downloaded and shared daily, which record companies have said has cut into the industry's profits, the report said.
For its part, TiVo (TIVO: Research, Estimates) said its system will not allow mass Internet distribution of the programs, the Post said. With 1.6 million subscribers, TiVo is the leading provider of digital recorders that can copy transmitted shows for users to watch at a later time, or that viewers can use to pause live viewing or skip commercials.
The latest brouhaha is just one of many being waged on Capitol Hill this year as content companies, such as movie and music firms, seek to protect copyright works that increasingly can be digitally stored, copied, manipulated and distributed by users, the story said.
But public advocacy groups have argued that content companies are trying to revoke long-standing consumer rights to "fair use" of artistic work, the report said.
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