According to a story in Variety, broadcast networks recently filed suit to prevent Aereokiller, the aptly named competitor of Aereo, from offering online streams of over-the-air television programming in the Washington, D.C. market. In 2012, the networks obtained a preliminary injunction against Aereokiller in the Central District of California. The D.C. lawsuit follows a recent court win by a Aereo in the New York market, leading to a likely circuit split on the issue and the prospect of Supreme Court guidance in the near future. The service, which uses small antennas to receive over-the-air broadcasts and then stream them to assigned subscribers, is available in multiple cities throughout the United States. While shows transmitted over public airways are technically free to consumers, most cable companies pay retransmission fees to broadcast networks. The networks argue that Aero and Aerokiller's transmissions are public performances of copyrighted works and require licenses.

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