- Apr 27, 2001
- 1,235
- 100
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Looks like the decision to buy a lifetime service agreement for my TIVO was a good one.
The order to shut down Dish Network DVR's here.
The federal court's order to block the ruling here.
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DENVER - A judge has ordered the parent company of the DISH satellite-TV service to stop selling products that compete against TiVo and that infringe on its patents.
U.S. District Court Judge David Folsom is also ordering EchoStar to pay $90 million in damages and interest and shutdown service to customers with DVRs within the next month.
Bloomberg reports that TiVo management is very pleased with the decision quoting an unidentified spokesperson, "This decision recognizes that our intellectual property is valuable and will ensure that moving forward EchoStar will be unable to use our patented technology without our authorization.''
The DVR battle with EchoStar dates back to April when a Texas jury found that EchoStar was violating TiVo's patent.
TiVo won the first round of the battle with EchoStar in April when a Marshall, Texas, jury found that EchoStar was violating TiVo's patent. The jury ordered EchoStar to pay $74 million in damages.
The judge has also denied denied EchoStar's request to stay the injunction pending an appeal. EchoStar lawyers say they have not given up and plan to continue fight the decision.
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NEW YORK (AP) - EchoStar Communications Corp., parent of the DISH Network satellite TV service, got a reprieve Friday after it initially lost a major court case.
Echostar says a federal appeals court has temporarily blocked a lower-court order that would have forced EchoStar to turn off about 4 million of its digital video recorders within 30 days.
Earlier Friday, a U.S. District judge in Texas granted a motion by TiVo Inc. for the DVR shutdown and ordered EchoStar to pay $89.6 million in damages.
The decision comes after a federal jury in April determined that EchoStar willfully infringed on TiVo's "time-warp" patent, which applies to the way a DVR simultaneously records one program while playing back another.
"We continue to believe the Texas decision was wrong, and should be reversed on appeal," EchoStar said in a statement.
The Englewood-based company also said it is working on modifications to its new DVRs so that they won't infringe on TiVo's patent.
EchoStar is the country's second-largest satellite TV provider with about 12.5 million subscribers.
TiVo, the Alviso, Calif., company that is credited with introducing DVR technology, said it was pleased" with the injunction.
"This decision recognizes that our intellectual property is valuable and will ensure that moving forward EchoStar will be unable to use our patented technology without our authorization," the company said in a prepared statement.
Because EchoStar's infringement of TiVo's patent was seen as "willful," the judge could have tripled the amount of damages, but chose not to. TiVo is pondering whether to appeal that part of the decision, said TiVo spokesman Elliot Sloane.
EchoStar shares fell 70 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $32.05 in midday trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. TiVo shares jumped 41 cents, or 6.3 percent, to $6.90.
The order to shut down Dish Network DVR's here.
The federal court's order to block the ruling here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DENVER - A judge has ordered the parent company of the DISH satellite-TV service to stop selling products that compete against TiVo and that infringe on its patents.
U.S. District Court Judge David Folsom is also ordering EchoStar to pay $90 million in damages and interest and shutdown service to customers with DVRs within the next month.
Bloomberg reports that TiVo management is very pleased with the decision quoting an unidentified spokesperson, "This decision recognizes that our intellectual property is valuable and will ensure that moving forward EchoStar will be unable to use our patented technology without our authorization.''
The DVR battle with EchoStar dates back to April when a Texas jury found that EchoStar was violating TiVo's patent.
TiVo won the first round of the battle with EchoStar in April when a Marshall, Texas, jury found that EchoStar was violating TiVo's patent. The jury ordered EchoStar to pay $74 million in damages.
The judge has also denied denied EchoStar's request to stay the injunction pending an appeal. EchoStar lawyers say they have not given up and plan to continue fight the decision.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK (AP) - EchoStar Communications Corp., parent of the DISH Network satellite TV service, got a reprieve Friday after it initially lost a major court case.
Echostar says a federal appeals court has temporarily blocked a lower-court order that would have forced EchoStar to turn off about 4 million of its digital video recorders within 30 days.
Earlier Friday, a U.S. District judge in Texas granted a motion by TiVo Inc. for the DVR shutdown and ordered EchoStar to pay $89.6 million in damages.
The decision comes after a federal jury in April determined that EchoStar willfully infringed on TiVo's "time-warp" patent, which applies to the way a DVR simultaneously records one program while playing back another.
"We continue to believe the Texas decision was wrong, and should be reversed on appeal," EchoStar said in a statement.
The Englewood-based company also said it is working on modifications to its new DVRs so that they won't infringe on TiVo's patent.
EchoStar is the country's second-largest satellite TV provider with about 12.5 million subscribers.
TiVo, the Alviso, Calif., company that is credited with introducing DVR technology, said it was pleased" with the injunction.
"This decision recognizes that our intellectual property is valuable and will ensure that moving forward EchoStar will be unable to use our patented technology without our authorization," the company said in a prepared statement.
Because EchoStar's infringement of TiVo's patent was seen as "willful," the judge could have tripled the amount of damages, but chose not to. TiVo is pondering whether to appeal that part of the decision, said TiVo spokesman Elliot Sloane.
EchoStar shares fell 70 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $32.05 in midday trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. TiVo shares jumped 41 cents, or 6.3 percent, to $6.90.