Rovi extended a license agreement covering its interactive program guide patent portfolio with NDS Group for five years, in the midst of Cisco Systems' $5 billion takeover of NDS.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, as is typical. Under the deal extension, NDS will be able to continue to provide IPG and related technologies under the Rovi patents to its customers. In addition, the agreement includes new, additional rights under the Rovi patents for secondary screens such as mobile devices, tablets and online applications.
Cisco expects to close its acquisition of NDS, a global provider of TV security and middleware, in the second half of 2012 pending regulatory approvals.
"As the industry's leading provider of digital TV solutions, NDS strives to help its customers deliver a world-class TV experience to subscribers on any device," Gorm Nielsen, NDS senior vice president of strategy and business development, said in a statement. "We believe our customers benefit from having the option to license Rovi's IPG patents alongside NDS's own leading technology and service offerings and are therefore pleased to extend our license agreement with Rovi."
London-based NDS previously reached a patent-licensing deal in April 2009 with Macrovision Solutions (which changed its name to Rovi later that year).
