Virgin Media came out on top again in its latest battle with Rovi Corp., as a U.K. court dismissed Rovi’s claims that the MSO was infringing on two patents it was trying to link to the MSO's deployment of TiVo-powered boxes.
According to Broadband TV News, the U.K High Court invalidated Rovi’s claims that Virgin Media, now part of Liberty Global, was infringing two U.K. patents: No. 1 763 234 (“Improved electronic television program schedule guide system and method”; and No. 0 821 856 (“Merging multi-source information in a television system”).
It’s the latest win for Virgin against Rovi. In 2011, a British appeals court affirmed that the operator did not infringe on three other patents tied to interactive guide technology.
“We respectfully, but strongly, disagree with this decision and will be reviewing the options available to us on appeal,” Rovi EVP of worldwide intellectual property and licensing Samir Armaly said, in a statement. “Rovi has successfully licensed other services like the one at issue in this case with leading companies throughout the world. In fact, the TiVo service that is being utilized by Virgin Media is currently licensed under the Rovi patent portfolio in the United States. “
Armaly also noted that Rovi has “several other patents pending in parallel itigation against Virgin Media in the United Kingdom and will continue to pursue any ongoing infringement as needed to protect our rights and the rights of our existing licensees.”
