Verizon Sues Over Set-Tops

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 3/22/2010 1:01:36 PM

New York — The FiOS TV guys have taken a legal turn in their battle with Cablevision Systems.

Verizon Communications last week sued the New York City market’s predominant cable company in Delaware federal court, alleging that the MSO’s digital set-top boxes infringe eight patents and demanding that Cablevision stop distributing the boxes. The telco also filed a related complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Cablevision replied with this statement: “It is becoming increasingly clear that Verizon is having difficulty competing on the merits in the marketplace, so they are resorting to filing lawsuits and pursuing regulatory bailouts. We obviously plan a vigorous defense.”

Verizon maintained that Cablevision infringes eight of its patents — covering different aspects of interactive television, video delivery and network architecture — in the lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The suit seeks an injunction blocking Cablevision from using the patents and unspecified monetary damages.

In the complaint with the ITC, docket No. 2717, Verizon cites five of the patents and identifies three Cablevision set-top boxes from Cisco Systems that allegedly infringe them: the Scientific Atlanta Explorer 4250HD, the SA Explorer 8300HD and the SA Explorer 4200HD.

“Cablevision is using these STBs to compete against Verizon and is causing Verizon significant and ongoing harm,” the telco said in its ITC complaint.

Verizon spokesman David Fish said the telco had offered to license the patents to Cablevision before it filed the complaints.