Verizon Faces FiOS TV Shutdown in Patent
Feud As ActiveVideo Presses for FiOS TV Injunction
A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of
Virginia recently awarded ActiveVideo Networks $115 million, ruling that Verizon
infringed on four patents owned by the company. According to a company press release,
ActiveVideo is now working hard to get an injunction against Verizon, demanding
the phone company "cease and desist from further infringement of ActiveVideo's
patents." That could (though it's unlikely) mean a temporary shutdown of all
FiOS TV systems, though since the patents cover interactive applications as well
as video-on-demand elements, Verizon could potentially shutter parts of the FiOS
service. Verizon's patent problems come as the company deals with 45,000
striking FiOS and landline workers, and as the company tries to deploy their
latest set top
software upgrade that delivers a number of popular improvements to FiOS TV
users. As for ActiveVideo, they've claimed
that Verizon started this fight by going after Cablevision for using patents
owned by ActiveVideo.
Active video press release:
ActiveVideo Networks™ announced August 12 that it has filed for an injunction against Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ).
The requested injunction, intended to protect ActiveVideo's rights as the inventor of industry-leading technology in the delivery of advanced television applications such as video-on-demand and interactive TV, orders Verizon to “cease and desist from further infringement of ActiveVideo's patents.”
ActiveVideo was awarded damages totaling $115 million in the jury trial of the company's patent infringement suit against Verizon. The jury in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found that Verizon had infringed on all asserted claims of the intellectual property owned by ActiveVideo during the deployment of Verizon’s FiOS television service.
“The decision of the court to uphold our intellectual property rights was very clear,” said Jeff Miller, president and CEO of ActiveVideo Networks. “We insist that Verizon immediately cease its unlawful use of the patented technology developed by the employees and investors of ActiveVideo Networks.”
ActiveVideo filed suit against Verizon in May, 2010, alleging that the Verizon FiOS system infringed on four patents for technology created, owned and used by ActiveVideo. The patents, which are fundamental to interactive television services such as video on demand, include:
The requested injunction, intended to protect ActiveVideo's rights as the inventor of industry-leading technology in the delivery of advanced television applications such as video-on-demand and interactive TV, orders Verizon to “cease and desist from further infringement of ActiveVideo's patents.”
ActiveVideo was awarded damages totaling $115 million in the jury trial of the company's patent infringement suit against Verizon. The jury in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found that Verizon had infringed on all asserted claims of the intellectual property owned by ActiveVideo during the deployment of Verizon’s FiOS television service.
“The decision of the court to uphold our intellectual property rights was very clear,” said Jeff Miller, president and CEO of ActiveVideo Networks. “We insist that Verizon immediately cease its unlawful use of the patented technology developed by the employees and investors of ActiveVideo Networks.”
ActiveVideo filed suit against Verizon in May, 2010, alleging that the Verizon FiOS system infringed on four patents for technology created, owned and used by ActiveVideo. The patents, which are fundamental to interactive television services such as video on demand, include:
- United States Patent No. 6,034,678, titled “Cable Television System With Remote Interactive Processor;”
- United States Patent No. 5,550,578, titled “Interactive And Conventional Television Information System;”
- United States Patent No. 6,100,883, titled “Home Interface Controller for Providing Interactive Cable Television;” and
- United States Patent No. 6,205,582, titled “Interactive Cable Television System with Frame Server
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