TiVo Files Patent Infringement Suit Against DISH

[Gregg Lengling]

On Monday, TiVo filed a patent infringement suit against EchoStar alleging the satellite TV company is violating its "Time Warp" patent covering digital recording capabilities.

The suit was filed in federal district court in Texas.

Key TiVo inventions protected by the Time Warp patent include a method for recording one program while playing back another, watching a program as it is recording, and a storage format that supports advanced capabilities such as pausing live TV, fast-forwarding, rewinding, instant replays, and slow motion, the company said.

An EchoStar spokesperson said the company hasn't seen the lawsuit and couldn't comment.

Said Mike Ramsay, CEO of TiVo, "Our plan has been to leverage our intellectual property to support our drive for market share growth. The success of our licensing business clearly demonstrates the value the industry has placed on TiVo's technology. It's important that we protect our IP (intellectual property) for TiVo and our licensees," said Ramsay.

TiVo said it has been awarded 49 patents and has more than 100 patent applications pending. The patents and patent applications protect its original DVR software and hardware design, as well as additional features that enhance the TiVo service and enable networked home entertainment, the company said.