Aereo may have lost the battle but they certainly aren't ceding defeat just yet. After temporarily pausing operations late last week following an unfavorable ruling from the Supreme Court, the streaming television startup is turning to its fans for support.
Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia on Tuesday took to the official Aereo blog to ask consumers to "stand together for innovation, progress and technology." More specifically, he's asking people to reach out to their elected officials and tell them how disappointed they are in the decision recently handed down against Aereo by the nation's highest court.
He encourages users to tell lawmakers why having access to a cloud-based antenna is important. Above all else, he wants people to show their elected officials how much they care about the issue.
Those interested in supporting Aereo in this endeavor can do so by visiting the updated ProtectMyAntenna.org website, finding the appropriate representatives and sending e-mails, tweets and Facebook messages.
If you recall, the Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision last week. The ruling ultimately found that Aereo's current business model violates copyright law. Aereo claims their service, which uses an array of tiny antennas - one per customer - to broadcast live television over the Internet to paying subscribers, is simply an equipment rental service.
The future of Aereo remains unclear at this hour. The service could theoretically continue to operate so long as the company agrees to pay licensing fees to broadcasters but that'd no doubt drive the price of the service up considerably.
