Appeals Court Uploads TiVo/EchoStar Settlement

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 1: The U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Federal Circuit has upheld the $74 million in damages awarded to TiVo as
part of its patent dispute with satellite platform DISH Network.

While the appeals court ruled that DISH infringed on TiVo’s
software patents for its own DVR services, it overturned a previous court
ruling stating that DISH had also infringed on hardware patents.

In a statement, DISH said it was “disappointed” by the
ruling on the software patent, but noted that the decision “will have no effect
on our current or future customers because EchoStar's engineers have developed
and deployed 'next-generation' DVR software to our customers' DVRs. This
improved software is fully operational, has been automatically downloaded to
current customers, and does not infringe the TiVo patent at issue in the
Federal Circuit's ruling.”

With interest, the damages sum payable to TiVo amounts to
$94 million. DISH says it will appeal the Federal Circuit's ruling affirming
the jury verdict.

—By Mansha Daswani