Verizon filed a complaint against Cablevision Systems (News - Alert) this week alleging that it infringed its patented technology for television set-top boxes, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission.

 

The five patents in question relate to Verizon’s (News - Alert) FiOS TV services; company officials from Verizon said it limited its complaint to a single claim for each disputed patent in an effort to resolve the issue within 12 months, the Wall Street Journal reported.

 

The ITC notice on the complaint did not describe what exactly was being infringed other than to say that the dispute involved certain set-top boxes, according to Reuters (News - Alert).

 

The two companies are fierce competitors in the New York area, competing for video, Internet as well as phone customers.

 

“It is becoming increasingly clear that Verizon is having difficulty competing on the merits in the marketplace, so they are resorting to filing lawsuits and pursuing regulatory bailouts,” Cablevision said in an e-mailed statement to Reuters.