10 Out Of 10 For Channel 9

Next time you get frustrated at your partner or flatmate for incessant channel surfing, pause. Appreciate that the on-going decision between NCIS or Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares is so hard because competitive broadcasters have done a good job scheduling programs to entice viewers.

Pause a little longer, and reflect on the Full Federal Court's recent decision in Nine Network v IceTV. The case reminds us that the investment of skill and labour in creating programming schedules means that they are protected by copyright which is easy to infringe, even indirectly.

Nine Network Australia v IceTV

Nine Network's weekly schedules are licensed to "aggregators" who combine information from a range of broadcasters to produce aggregate guides. These guides are then published in print (e.g. TV Week) or online.