The MPAA expressed disappointment yesterday over the FederalCommunications Commission's decision to permit TiVo's new content sharingtechnology TiVOToGo.

The FCC ruling will allow TiVo users to record programmingand send it via the internet to up to nine other TiVo devices or computers, allof which will be linked to the same customer account and granted access to thecontent by electronic key.

MPAA officials said the ruling could lead to unauthorised newviewing markets and the weakening of existing television markets.

However the MPAA applauded the FCC's decision to adopt a broadcastflag for digital television.

An interimcertification of content protection technologies for digital televisionprogramming encoded with the flag will allow manufacturers to introduce digitalrecorders that do not threaten copyright laws.