(Telecompaper) The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that broadcasters may prohibit the retransmission of their TV programmes via the internet by another company. It said that transmission is a communication to the public of works and as such must be authorised by their author. The court said it had been consulted by magistrates in relation to the case of UK company TVCatchup (TVC), which provides free online broadcasting of TV programmes. Various UK commercial television channels including ITV have sued TVC for breach of copyright.