TiVo Gets Speedy Results In EchoStar Patent Trial
from the wasting-no-time-at-all dept
There's a reason that California-based TiVo filed its patent lawsuit against Colorado-based EchoStar in the small town of Marshall in East Texas. The US District Court there is positively famous for running through patent cases (and almost always giving the patent holder a win) in record time. The TiVo case appears to be no exception, with a quick verdict awarding TiVo $73.9 million for EchoStar's infringement of TiVo's patents. Of course, while some are making this out to be a big win for TiVo, it's quite likely that EchoStar will appeal -- and we doubt the higher level courts will run through the case quite so fast.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Go TiVo
I thought about starting a business based on the MythTV and Linux a year ago. Then I read that TiVo amassed a patent portfolio around the entire DVR concept.
I vaguely remember that a senior executive said something to the likes of 'Anyone who wants to get into the DVR space (on linux) will have to talk to us'. I verified this, and they own a LOT of intellectual property.
Seeing this, and that there really are not too many alternatives (read: Windows Media Center) I dropped the concept.
I give a hearty Three-Cheers to TiVo. They invented the technology many years ago. (I even remember seeing Infomercials like 5 years ago) TiVo patented it, and they delivered it. Often imitated, but never substituted. TiVo is the American Dream, delivered...
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Re: Go TiVo
This is all besides the fact that TiVo is quickly and without regard for the customer bending over and taking it in the back side for networks.
They record things in the middle of the night, submit my TV watching habits and my personal information to whoever they please and want to force me to watch ads while I fast forward or rewind.
And they haven't released any new products in quite literally years. They keep promising new things but they've yet to deliver.
Just like Microsoft, they had the right product at the right time, and now they've not done anything worth mentioning since. With a little competition and an open mind to that competition, instead of trying to put their thumb on top of them and then bowing down before the Network Gods we consumers would have a much better DVR product, and and the DVR companies would be making more money.
Now, if someone would like to help me off this very tall soapbox I'd be grateful.
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Next thing you know they will sue Motorolla for selling the DVR cable boxes.
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Re:
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Re: so much for competition.
Granted, one person would have a monopoly for a while, but then the competition would be able to build something very similar that does the same thing...
Has this changed? I don't know. As far as I'm concerned, a patent should have a 'limited run' of a short time then open up to competitors, thus inviting improvements and innovation.
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Too much money can be paralyzing
Too much cash can allow tough decisions to be deferred. I'm afraid that might happen.
I wrote more on this at my blog.
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