Not long ago, EchoStar notified its authorized dealer chain to refrain from selling free-to-air receivers because the act violates company policy. Undoubtedly the move comes as a response to its current legal battle with FTA receiver distributor Viewtech.

This week, EchoStar asked that a federal judge in San Diego throw out Viewtech’s request to have the satellite company’s lawsuit against it dismissed. EchoStar’s suit, filed earlier this year, claims Viewtech knowingly designs, manufactures and distributes FTA receivers to purposely allow users to steal DISH Network TV service - a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

EchoStar said Viewtech developed software that users can download that transforms the otherwise legal receivers into signal piracy tools. In Viewtech’s request to have the original lawsuit thrown out, the technology firm claimed EchoStar does not own the copyrights to the programming DISH Network distributes. EchoStar asked the court to reject that notion as well.

In other EchoStar legal news, the satellite company added more names to its list of end users it has sued for allegedly pirating DISH Network’s signals. The company filed a lawsuit against Florida resident Miguel Garcia and two Illinois residents Andrew and Beth McSkimming alleging the unauthorized customers used modified receivers to steal DISH programming.

According to reports, EchoStar decided to pursue both cases after Garcia and the McSkimmings returned receivers to the company and it found them to be altered. The lawsuits claim the consumers also violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Communications Act of 1934.