Bhaalu cloud TV service deemed legal in Belgium

[Uniq]

A court in Hassalt ruled that the cloud TV service Bhaalu is legal and may continue offering its services.

M7 had sued Right Brain Interface, the company behind Bhaalu, for illegal use of the broadcast signal of TV Vlaanderen, M7′s satellite DTH service in Flanders. The court found that Right Brain cannot be considered a TV distributor, so it does not fall under the requirements of the Decree on Signal Integrity.

The court found that the Bhaalu cloud PVR is a product and not a service, underlining the fundamental difference between a TV distributor, such as TV Vlaanderen, and Right Brain, which is not a distributor. Right Brain reiterated its call for cooperation in the industry, the same as when it won the preliminary court ruling in March.

The case brought by broadcasters VRT, SBS and Medialaan (VTM) is still pending. Right Brain’s Philippe Vandormael said that the company is willing to pay a ‘reasonable fee’ to broadcasters.

Last November Hasselt-based technology firm Right Brain has launched Bhaalu as a network-PVR that will record all programmes the viewer subscribes to. People can access the service via a dedicated Bhaalu set-top box, a Bhaalu smart stick or via a mobile app (for tablets and phones).