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In win for networks, federal judge issues temporary restraining order against FilmOn.com

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A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order against FilmOn.com Plc., a company that had been streaming the signals of television stations over the Internet without permission of the stations or the networks or producers whose programming was being streamed.

All four major networks -- Fox, CBS, ABC and NBC -- took FilmOn to court to stop the streams and, after a hearing held Monday, Naomi Reice Buchwald of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued the order.

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The networks argued that FilmOn.com was violating copyright laws by taking the signals and streaming them without permission or compensation.

FilmOn.com is one of two companies the broadcast networks are currently battling. The other company is Ivi Inc., which has also been streaming the signals of TV stations. Ivi has filed a suit in U.S. District Court in Seattle in an effort to get a ruling that it is not violating the rights of the networks by streaming their content online.

The broadcast networks have also filed a suit against Ivi in the Southern District of New York and separately have asked that the Seattle case be moved there.

-- Joe Flint

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