Sling Media, MLB Headed for Court?

Major League Baseball seems headed for a showdown with Sling Media after a panel discussion at the Digital Media Summit in Los Angeles turned contentious Tuesday. The league claims that Slingbox users violate their user agreements by "placeshifting" content.

The heated discussion highlights a larger issue that is pitting content providers against device makers who produce products that allow for the portability of content. However, Sling Media claims it is different since the content is only viewable by one person, and is not permitted to be stored in any way.

George Kliavkoff, executive vice president of business for MLB Advanced Media, says that the league only sells transmission rights for a specific geographic region. Thus, the league wants users to pay for the right to placeshift, or it would be considered stealing.

But Sling Media marketing vice president Rich Buchanan argued that is simply not the case under the law. Since the consumer has already paid once for the rights to view the content at home, the law gives him or her the right to view it in any location they choose.

While no official statement has been made by MLB regarding plans for a possible legal battle, Sling Media is confident it could prevail in any courtroom fight. The company says it would be hard to argue that a customer should pay twice for the rights to programming.

Additionally, the league runs the risk of alienating fans at a time when viewers are increasingly turning to other sports, such as hockey and NASCAR, which have seen increasing popularity in recent years.

News of the confrontation was first reported by CNET News.com on Wednesday.