Time Warner goes to court over iPad streaming app

And they're off! I thought it was weird that Time Warner was pushing so hard to get streaming cable channels on its new iPad app, but apparently it's ready to back up that stance. The company has just dropped a request for a declaratory judgement on a US District Court, asking the courts to rule on whether it can or can't show cable subscription channels on the iPad. There's more information on the official blog: Time Warner's current interpretation is that the iPad is just like any other TV screen in the house, and since you can already stream Time Warner's content to multiple TVs, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to stream it off to your iPad if you want as well. Sounds reasonable to us, but Time Warner has officially asked the courts for agreement.

As Time Warner says itself, this request wouldn't have been filed if it had any inclination it was wrong. Essentially, it's for the providers who have been fighting to keep their content off of TW's app -- if Time Warner gets the ruling it wants, those companies won't have a proverbial leg to stand on. Time Warner says that a resolution should be out soon, and when it is, we'll likely see Time Warner's customers get those channels back that were lost before.