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Cable Technology Feature Article

February 28, 2011

Motorola Mobility Files Lawsuit Against TiVo

By Tracey E. Schelmetic, TMCnet Contributor


Having a hard time keeping track of which tech company is suing which other tech company? At this point, it's getting tempting to just presume that they are all suing each other, a scenario that is increasingly less of a joke and more of a reality. Whose turn is it now? Over the weekend, Motorola (News - Alert) Mobility sued TiVo for infringing its patents for digital video recorders, according to Reuters.

Japan's Motorola said it was seeking to protect its interests after TiVo sued Verizon (News - Alert) Communications, Inc., which uses Motorola's technology, for patent infringement. In a complaint filed on Friday, Motorola said it acquired its DVR patents through an acquisition of Imedia, which filed for patents in April 1995.

TiVo' (News - Alert)S patents used the same technology that Imedia engineers invented years before, Motorola said.

“The TiVo patents disclose and claim the same technology that Imedia engineers invented years before. TiVo obtained patents on its DVR product and sued the industry, said Motorola in a statement. “TiVo is attempting to assert its patents against technology disclosed and claimed in Motorola Mobility's patents, despite the fact that Motorola Mobility's patents were filed more than three years before TiVo's patents,” said Motorola.

TiVo, for its part, has declined to comment on the suit.

TiVo is also fighting a long running legal battle with EchoStar and Dish Network related to its time-warp DVR technology, reports IT Pro Portal.

Last month, Microsoft (News - Alert) filed a trade complaint against TiVo seeking to prevent the company from importing television set-top boxes. Microsoft is accusing TiVo of infringing on four Microsoft patents. The tech giant has asked that TiVo be barred from importing the digital-video recorders, which are primarily made in Mexico and sold in the U.S.


Tracey Schelmetic is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Tracey's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Tammy Wolf