TiVo sues Comcast claiming X1 platform infringes several patents

TiVo has announced that its Rovi company and affiliates have filed lawsuits against Comcast in the District Courts in Massachusetts and California. The lawsuits allege patent infringement on Comcast's part, saying the service provider's X1 platform infringes upon Rovi patents. Those patents cover technology including voice functionality, advanced DVR features, multi-device pausing and resuming, and more.

Comcast has been steadily building up the features offered by its robust X1 platform, but TiVo reports that some of those features infringe on its Rovi patents. According to the lawsuits, Comcast is allegedly swiping tech related to X1's ability to restart live shows that are in progress, advanced search, voice functionality, pausing and resuming content on more than one device, and its advanced DVR features.

TiVo CEO Enrique Rodriguez said:

Through decades-long investment in research and development, Rovi has created innovations that delight consumers in their day-to-day entertainment experience. Our commitment to our customers and stockholders compels us to protect these valuable inventions from unlicensed use. Hundreds of media and entertainment leaders around the world recognize the value of our innovations by selecting our products and services and licensing our intellectual property. Our goal is for Comcast to renew its long-standing license so it can continue providing its customers the many popular features Rovi invented.

TiVo isn't going easy on Comcast, saying that Rovi will also be going after the service provider via the US International Trade Commission over these patents. Rovi plans to get an exclusion order from the ITC that will stop Comcast from importing X1 boxes with the allegedly infringing tech. This isn't the first time the companies have been engaged in such legal tussles.

Back in November, the ITC agreed with Rovi that Comcast had infringed on two of its patents, ultimately granting Rovi an exclusion order against the service provider. Whether TiVo will see success a second time around is yet to be seen.

SOURCE: TiVo