SONICBLUE TO SUE TIVO FOR PATENT INFRINGEMENT
SonicBlue escalated battle with rival TiVo Wed., saying it would file suit for patent infringement in U.S. Dist. Court, San Francisco. CEO Kenneth Potashner said it was “no longer acceptable” for TiVo “not to enter some kind of relationship with us.” He said companies had been discussing possible licensing agreement for 3 months and SonicBlue, which purchased ReplayTV earlier this year, gave rival “one last chance in good faith to negotiate with us.”
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SonicBlue didn’t specify which of its patents TiVo was alleged to have infringed, but it was granted patent in late Nov. covering PVR with integrated program guide that allowed user to record and store TV signals as “personal channels.” Suit will seek to halt production of TiVo PVRs and damages for existing infringing products.
TiVo denied it was seeking to license SonicBlue technology and branded latter’s news release that disclosed possible discussions as “inaccurate.” “As a market leader for digital video recording, we have a strong intellectual patent portfolio that protects our technology,” Chief Technology Office James Barton said.
TiVo said Tues. it had been granted 3 new patents (CED Dec 12 p7) including those for TrickPlay technology that allows for controlling of streaming media in digital devices, including pausing live TV transmissions and storing, editing and manipulating video. Other patents were for simultaneous record/playback of multiple video streams and home networking for connection of TiVo PVRs to other streaming devices. Those patents were in addition to one it received in May on simultaneous playback and recording to TV programs. TiVo has deployed dual tuner approach in combo PVR/DirecTV satellite receiver.
SonicBlue and TiVo are no strangers to litigation. TV networks sued SonicBlue for copyright infringement earlier this fall alleging that its ReplayTV PVR allowed users to share video files. TiVo was sued by Gemstar-TV Guide International in Jan. 2000 for patent infringement.
Legal actions, especially TV networks’ suit, have had unintended effect of drawing attention to product category that has current installed base of slightly more than 300,000 units, industry officials said. TiVo also signed high-profile multiyear agreement with Sony earlier this fall. “Any attention brought to the marketplace is good,” said executive at TiVo PVR supplier. “It would be nice, however, for both companies if something gets sorted out and one of them has clear ownership” of PVR patents.