OpenTV sues Apple over iTunes content streaming technology
Interactive digital television firm OpenTV on Tuesday filed suit against Apple for alleged infringement of five patents relating to storing and delivering digital content to personal electronic devices.
According to the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, OpenTV is seeking compensation or royalties, along with supplemental damages for alleged infringement of five patents. Re/code spotted the filing earlier today.
The patents, which date back to the late 1990s to early 2000s, deal with storing, securing and disseminating media to end user devices, though document language mainly applies to digital video, broadcast and satellite transmissions.
Plaintiffs note parent company Kudelski Group has licensed its patent portfolio to a number of tech companies, including Cisco, Google and Disney.
OpenTV was an early player in the digital television industry and provides middleware that allows users a certain level of interactivity with set-top boxes. For example, the company's software powers DISH Network's interactive shopping program, QVC's real-time television shopping services and CNN Enhanced TV, the suit says. As digital television consumption evolved, so did OpenTV, which now concentrates on video-on-demand, personal video recording and enhanced television applications.
According to the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, OpenTV is seeking compensation or royalties, along with supplemental damages for alleged infringement of five patents. Re/code spotted the filing earlier today.
The patents, which date back to the late 1990s to early 2000s, deal with storing, securing and disseminating media to end user devices, though document language mainly applies to digital video, broadcast and satellite transmissions.
Plaintiffs note parent company Kudelski Group has licensed its patent portfolio to a number of tech companies, including Cisco, Google and Disney.
OpenTV was an early player in the digital television industry and provides middleware that allows users a certain level of interactivity with set-top boxes. For example, the company's software powers DISH Network's interactive shopping program, QVC's real-time television shopping services and CNN Enhanced TV, the suit says. As digital television consumption evolved, so did OpenTV, which now concentrates on video-on-demand, personal video recording and enhanced television applications.
Comments
Amateurs! Have they never heard of Eastern Texas?
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up revenue and then hope to claim part of that, they should forgo royalties on past revenue.
I.E. Why did they take so long to file?
Looks like a real company was providing services, they were bought out by a patent troll, and now those patents are being used for profit.
Satellite transmissions? They are toast!
?These patents will be ruled invalid and then no one will pay them anything.
I read the first of the three patents they allege and it is about access control. I do not see how it applies to Apple. The patents are probably valid (but hopefully not) but they don't seem to apply to AppleTV.
Streaming is different than satellite TV streaming. I don't know where they are coming from but they don't have a clue apparently.
This shouldn't last long in court.
Another day, another lawsuit against Apple. Their huge and shiny pile of money draws patent trolls like moths to a flame.
It might be easier to just create a list of who's NOT suing Apple and publish it once a week. That would be a lot easier to keep track of and the list would be constantly shrinking.