Judge Is Skeptical About Aereo's New Bid for Survival

US District Court Judge Alison Nathan considered a preliminary injunction against Aereo, the controversial tech service that upon launching in the spring of 2012, promised to pry open the delivery of television signals so that customers could access the major networks on digital devices.

At a hearing, attorneys for broadcasters and Aereo took turns arguing before a humbled judge who two years ago offered the prospect of revolution in the TV industry by denying an injunction on grounds that the relaying of individual copies of over-the-air TV signals constituted a private performance permissible under the Transmit Clause of the Copyright Act. This time, after the U.S Supreme Court concluded otherwise, Judge Nathan was more skeptical of Aereo's arguments, even downright contemptuous at moments.