Time Warner Cable files suit against Viacom over iPad content

Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC) has filed a lawsuit against Viacom Inc. (VIA) over content it says it has the right to program on mobile devices like Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPad.
The cable operator launched an app for the iPad on March 15 and has since pulled some content following complaints from Viacom, Discovery Communications Inc. (DISCA) and News Corp. (NWSA).
Time Warner is asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to issue a declaratory judgment that gives the company the right to deliver Viacom’s programming on any device of its customers’ choosing.
“We have steadfastly maintained that we have the rights to allow our customers to view this programming in their homes, over our cable systems, without artificial limits on the screens they can use to do so, and we are asking the court to confirm our view. With over 360,000 downloads of our TWCableTV app, it is clear that our customers welcome the convenience and flexibility our new app provides,” EVP and general counsel of Time Warner Cable, Marc Lawrence-Apfelbaum, said in a prepared statement.