OpenTV Fires Legal Shot at the NFL

OpenTV, a video software and apps subsidiary of The Kudelski Group, said Monday (January 16) that it has filed a patent infringement suit against NFL Enterprises LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

The lawsuit alleges that the NFL is infringing on seven U.S. patents owned by OpenTV, and specifically goes after several streaming and interactive services, including NFL.com, NFL Network/NFL RedZone, NFL Now, NFL Game Pass, NFL Mobile, the NFL App, and NFL Fantasy Football.

Update: According to the complaint, Open TV alleges that NFLE directly and indirectly infringes on the following U.S. patents:

-7,996,861: “Flexible Interface for Secure Input of Pin Code.”

- 7,421,729: “Generation and Insertion of Indicators Using An Address Signal Applied To A Database.”

-7,028,327: “Using The Electronic Program Guide To Synchronize Interactivity With Broadcast Programs.”

- 7,950,033: “Utilization of Relational Metadata In A Television System.”

-7,055,169: “Supporting Common Interactive Television Functionality Through Presentation Engine Syntax.”

-7,020,888: “System And Method For Providing An Omnimedia Package.”

-6,233,736: “Media Online Service Access System and Method.”

Kudelski took control of OpenTV in late 2009, and sold OpenTV’s advanced advertising business unit to Imagine Communications in 2014.

The NFL lawsuit notwithstanding, Kudelski has been busy settling other patent-related lawsuits, including those with Apple, Yahoo and Verizon/AOL.