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.
