Aereo CEO: Supreme Court could ‘cripple entire cloud industry’

The future of the cloud computing industry could be in danger if the Supreme Court rules against video streaming service Aereo, according to the company’s CEO Chet Kanojia.

“A decision against Aereo would upend and cripple the entire cloud industry,” Kanojia said in a statement Wednesday.

{mosads}Next month, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case between Aereo and broadcasters, who say the company — which airs broadcast programming over the Internet without compensating broadcasters — violates copyright law. The company, responding to broadcasters’ claims in a brief filed with the court on Wednesday, argued that it follows the law by maintaining an antenna for every subscriber.

“We have every confidence that the Court will validate and preserve a consumer’s right to access local over-the-air television using an individual antenna, make a personal recording with a DVR, and watch that recording on a device of their choice,” Kanojia said in his statement Wednesday.

Kanojia accused the broadcasters of using the court case to protect lucrative business models that are ultimately harmful to consumers.

“They are asking the court to confine consumers to outdated equipment and limit their access to lawful technology in order to protect a legacy business model, the success of which is built on eliminating consumer choice and competition in the marketplace,” he said.

“If the broadcasters succeed, the consequences to American consumers and the cloud industry are chilling.”