Sulky TV networks claim skipping commercials is illegal

Fox, NBC, and CBS are incredibly miffed at Dish Network for providing a digital video recorder with an "Auto Hop" commercial-skipping feature (Fox already refused to show ads for it), and now they're attempting to convince a court that skipping commercials while watching a recorded show is illegal. As unlikely as this lawsuit sounds, a similar suit worked in 2002. The networks didn't actually win the case, but the defendant, ReplayTV, went broke before the court could rule in their favor. Win by forfeit is still a win. The suit doesn't touch on the legality of going to the bathroom during a commercial, but there's plenty of time for that argument to be introduced while this legal theater plays out.