TiVo: Split Will Not Affect Comcast Litigation

TiVo said it will continue its legal battle with Comcast within the confines of its IP licensing business after that unit is separated from TiVo’s products operations.

“Our decision to separate the businesses does not change our willingness or ability to continue our litigation against Comcast. And we fully expect that they will eventually be licensed,” said Raghu Rau, interim president and CEO of TiVo.

“The separation will have no impact on the litigation with Comcast,” he added. “Our resolve is to ensure that Comcast is eventually licensed.”

Related: TiVo Formally Announces Split of Licensing and Products Businesses

Speaking to investors during TiVo’s first quarter earnings call Thursday, Rau also offered on update on the litigation with Comcast, which included a new filing with the International Trade Commission (ITC) last month.

“We filed a new ITC complaint on April 26, which was preceded by a companion district court case we filed in the Central District of California on April 22,” he said. “We are asserting that Comcast infringes on six of our patents. Three of the patents focus on various aspects of Comcast's X1 DVR capabilities, including essential local DVR functionality, AnyRoom DVR, and Cloud DVR. Two patents focus on aspects of how network data and requests for content are managed between set top boxes within a user's home, including aspects of how network data from and to remote servers is managed.

“And finally, one patent focuses on the ability to provide real-time data in an Interactive Program Guide such as Comcast's real-time sports scores feature,” Rau added. “We anticipate that the ITC case will start early in June 2019, with trial and decisions to occur in 2020.”

Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!