Aereo’s battle against the giant cable company’s has come to an end. On Friday, November 21, Aereo applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. While the writing was on the wall, there were some signs, however slight, that Aereo may slip out of its legal noose. Whatever the case, Aereo put up a valiant fight, arguing its case all the way to the Supreme Court of The U.S. Aereo’s embattled CEO, Chet Kanojia, noted as much in a blog post:
While we had significant victories in the federal district courts in New York and Boston and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the reversal of the Second Circuit decision in June by the U.S. Supreme Court has proven difficult to overcome. The U.S. Supreme Court decision effectively changed the laws that had governed Aereo’s technology, creating regulatory and legal uncertainty. And while our team has focused its energies on exploring every path forward available to us, without that clarity, the challenges have proven too difficult to overcome.1
While this is essentially the end for Aereo, Kanojia, noted that the fight will continue:
Chapter 11 will permit Aereo to maximize the value of its business and assets without the extensive cost and distraction of defending drawn out litigation in several courts.
We have traveled a long and challenging road. We stayed true to our mission and we believe that we have played a significant part in pushing the conversation forward, helping force positive change in the industry for consumers.2
- Aereo Homepage, “A Letter to Our Consumers” ▲
- Aereo Homepage, “A Letter to Our Consumers” ▲