Rovi Files Suit Against Comcast for Patent Infringement

SAN CARLOS: Rovi Corporation has lodged a complaint against Comcast, alleging the cable giant and its set-top box suppliers of infringing on 14 patents, including remote recording.

Rovi has also taken issue regarding the AnyRoom DVR feature and X1 search. The company is seeking both an injunction to stop the continued infringement and damages to compensate it for the harm inflicted by that infringement.

“Today, Rovi filed legal action against Comcast,” said Tom Carson, the president and CEO of Rovi. “For over a decade, Comcast built its business using Rovi’s patented technology, which it licensed for a fixed term. Comcast’s decision to continue using Rovi’s pioneering technology as an unlicensed infringer is simply intolerable. After numerous attempts at negotiations, Rovi was left with no choice but to defend its intellectual property from unlicensed use. Rovi has taken this action to protect not only its patent portfolio, but also its stakeholders and licensees. While we are disappointed that Comcast remains unlicensed, we believe it needs a license to offer many of its personalized discovery features to its customers.”

Regarding Rovi’s pending lawsuit against DISH and EchoStar, the three have agreed to a standstill. This means that the companies will not pursue litigation against each other in order to allow discussions to continue about a possible extension of their license agreement. EchoStar’s license to Rovi’s patent portfolio remains in effect until April 5.