Gemstar Files Patent Infringement Suit Against TiVo
Business Editors & Legal Writers
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 19, 2000--Gemstar
International Group Limited (Nasdaq:GMST) today announced that its
subsidiary, StarSight Telecast Inc., has filed a patent infringement
suit against TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq:TIVO) in the Federal District Court,
Northern District of California.
The suit claims, among other matters, that TiVo willfully
infringed certain Gemstar intellectual property by virtue of TiVo's
deployment, marketing, offers to sell and sale of personalized video
recorder devices containing an unlicensed interactive program guide.
Gemstar is seeking an injunction and monetary damages.
"While Gemstar keeps an open licensing policy and is ready to
customize licensing terms to accommodate licensee needs, Gemstar is
equally ready to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights,"
said Stephen A. Weiswasser, general counsel and executive vice
president. "Gemstar will diligently prosecute infringers of its
patents, trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property, and
will seek redress to the fullest extent of the law."
Gemstar develops, markets and licenses proprietary technologies
and systems aimed at making technology user-friendly for consumers.
Gemstar's technology and intellectual property are licensed to major
companies in the consumer electronics, satellite, cable and personal
computer industries, including Aiwa, Akai, America Online (AOL),
Americast, Cox, Daewoo, Funai, GTE, Hitachi, Hughes Network Systems,
JVC, LG Electronics (Goldstar), Matsushita (Panasonic, Quasar),
Microsoft Corporation, Mitsubishi, Orion, Philips (Magnavox, Philips),
Quadravision, Samsung, Sharp, Shintom, Sony, Southern New England
Telephone, Thomson Multimedia (GE, Proscan, RCA, Thomson), Toshiba,
Uniden, US West and Zenith.
Gemstar has more than 85 issued U.S. patents in the general area
of audio-visual technologies with more than 1,850 claims, and more
than 90 issued foreign patents. The Company continues to pursue a
worldwide patent prosecution program and has more than 110 pending
U.S. patent applications and more than 300 pending foreign patent
applications.
Gemstar is a leading provider of electronic program guide
services, which allow a user to view a television program guide on
screen, obtain details about a show, sort shows by themes or
categories, and select shows for tuning or recording, all through the
remote control. In the United States, data for Gemstar's electronic
program guide services are carried on the ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC, UPN and
PBS networks.
Gemstar's electronic program guide has been built into a number
of models of new televisions, VCRs and TV/VCR combination units.
Gemstar's electronic program guide is also licensed to cable, telco
and MMDS service providers, and has been integrated into direct
broadcast satellite receivers, digital and advanced analog cable
set-top boxes, PCTV and other Internet devices and computer operating
systems such as Windows 98.
Gemstar's VCR Plus+(R) instant programming system is a world
standard for VCR programming. The VCR Plus+ system allows a user to
record a television show simply by entering a number -- the
PlusCode(R) number -- printed in television program guides. The
PlusCode numbers are published by more than 1,800 newspapers and
television program guides worldwide, with a combined circulation of
more than 330 million.
The VCR Plus+ system has been licensed to virtually every major
television and VCR manufacturer and is now available in 40 countries
and on 6 continents, including the United States, Canada, the United
Kingdom, Continental Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, New
Zealand, South America and South Africa.
On Oct. 4, 1999, Gemstar announced that it had entered into a
merger agreement with TV Guide Inc. (Nasdaq:TVGIA) in a
stock-for-stock purchase transaction under which TV Guide will become
a wholly owned subsidiary of Gemstar. The transaction is expected to
close in the second quarter of 2000 subject to governmental approval |
