Judge Rules Against DirecTV

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A judge on Monday blocked DirecTV Group Inc. from airing advertisements in which Jessica Simpson and William Shatner say its high-definition television service provides better pictures than Time Warner Cable’s comparable service.


Time Warner Cable filed suit in December, saying the ads were false because the companies provide the same screen resolution. At best, the lawsuit said, DirecTV’s picture quality is “merely equivalent.”


DirecTV can still use comparative advertising stating that its overall picture quality is superior, U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain said, because evidence has not established that DirecTV’s all-digital service as a whole is not superior to Time Warner Cable Inc.’s mix of digital and analog.


A DirecTV spokesman said the ads in question were no longer being aired.


The judge rejected the cable provider’s request that DirecTV be required to show corrective advertising. The lawsuit also claimed DirecTV lied about the accessibility of NFL broadcasts in an attempt to capture Time Warner Cable customers.

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