By: Atheist
Reply To: 32156 by URSATDX Thursday, 16 Mar 2000 at 1:53 PM EST
Post # of 32166
from Janco
Currently ACTV has been issued 19 patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark office,
with additional patents pending. ACTV?s current patents expire at various dates between
2003 and 2016. Corresponding patents for some of ACTV?s U.S. patents (that cover
more critical applications of HyperTV and ITV) have been granted or are pending in
Canada, Japan, Australia and the European patent office. ACTV plans to defend its
patents if challenged and hopes to work towards joint ventures and/or
software/hardware/technology licensing agreements with those companies who may be in
violation. ACTV believes it holds the foundational patents for both the ITV and
HyperTV technologies. Therefore, although other companies may patent improvements
to the existing technologies, they would still be founded on ACTV?s base patents.
Although ACTV has made no such claims as to such, from our personal observation, we
believe several companies? operations, including RespondTV?s Internet-linking
technology and GO.com?s (?GO? NYSE) interactive Internet content that corresponds
with ABC?s Monday Night NFL Football live video programming, for example, may
currently be infringing on several HyperTV patents. We also believe many companies,
such as OpenTV (?OPTV? NASDAQ), on whose platform currently runs a non-seamless,
choppy transition technology to enhance sports programming in a way similar to ACTV?s
ITV enhanced programming, might be interested in licensing ACTV?s ITV technology in
the future. In addition, Wink Communications (?WINK? NASDAQ), whose software
provides consumers with the ability to request additional information about products or
purchase products over the television, although it does not appear to be violating any of
ACTV?s patents, may be an interesting partner for ACTV?s Digital ADCO in the future.
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