TiVo seeks $1 billion from DISH/EchoStar
updated 03:15 pm EDT, Tue July 14, 2009
TiVo seeks $1 billion
Despite recently being awarded some $190 million in the long-standing legal battle against DISH Network and EchoStar over patents in DVRs, TiVo is seeking nearly $1 billion in contempt sanctions, according to a filing disclosed by TiVo with a US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. While EchoStar was ordered by the federal judge in Texas to disable the functions on the majority of its recorders in subscribers' hands, EchoStar instead claims it built a "design-around" that avoids the patents in question.
DISH and EchoStar have since appealed the decision with the US Court of Appeals, received a stay order, and are now scheduled to go into court again as early as November. The defendants also argue any more proceedings in the Texas court are no longer appropriate considering the stay order.
The Texas court ordered DISH to disable some 4 million DVRs as the technology they contain infringed on TiVo's Time Warp patent, a move that would have a dramatic impact on the satellite TV provider's service. [via ZatzNotFunny]
