Patent office hands TiVo a loss in battle with Dish, Echostar

Set-top box maker TiVo's patent infringement claims against Dish Network and Echostar for its "time warp" DVR technology has suffered a minor setback after the Patent and Trademark Office ruled them invalid. TiVo said it would follow up with more arguments to show that the companies illegally copied its technology that allows users to pause, rewind and fast forward through live content.

TiVo won a 2006 judgment against the two companies for using TiVo technology in their own STBs, and in March earned a victory in a federal appeals court on the matter. TiVo is seeking some $300 million in damages from Dish and Echostar and has a separate suit against AT&T and Verizon.

For more:
- see this Wall Street Journal report

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