TiVo has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Comcast involving “Cloud and multi-room DVR features” offered by Comcast Xfinity pay-TV set top boxes (STB).
Filed in the Central District of California through TiVo’s Rovi unit, the lawsuit is the latest in a series of complaints that aim to put pressure on Comcast to either eliminate X1 features or pay licensing fees to TiVo, which Comcast ceased in 2016.
Rovi executive VP and chief intellectual property officer Arvin Patel said in a statement: “We believe Comcast’s Xfinity X1 continues to infringe Rovi’s Cloud and multi-room DVR patents – a vital component of home entertainment.
“Litigation is always a last resort but we will continue to take every necessary legal action to ensure that Comcast fairly compensates Rovi for its use of our patented innovations. We have a responsibility to our stakeholders, licensees and customers to protect our intellectual property.”
Comcast responded in a statement: “Rovi has in recent years deployed its increasingly obsolete patent portfolio in an unsuccessful litigation campaign seeking to charge Comcast and our customers for technology that Rovi did not invent.
“Rovi launched this campaign in April 2016 by asserting infringement of 15 patents – 14 of which have been held to be invalid and/or not infringed by Comcast, or have been withdrawn by Rovi.
“While we haven’t had an opportunity to review Rovi’s latest complaint, we will continue to defend ourselves against allegations we determine to be meritless.”