TiVo and Comcast in patent battle, again

It was only a few months ago that Comcast lost a patent lawsuit with Tivo over patent violations on several technologies relating to scheduling on set-top DVR recordings. Even though it was Comcast that said they would appeal the decision, it is TiVo who have made the first move and started-up another trial.

TiVo this week sued Comcast for violating the company’s hardware patents. Two new lawsuits were filed in Federal District Courts in California and Massachusettes alleging that Comcast’s X1 platform infringes on six patents owned by TiVo. The patents in question are relating to pausing and resuming shows across different hardware devices; restarting live programming already in progress; select advanced DVR recording functionality; and advanced search & voice functionality.

“Our commitment to our customers and stockholders compels us to protect these valuable inventions from unlicensed use,” Tivo CEO Enrique Rodriguez said in a prepared statement. “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.”