Virgin defeats Rovi in latest patent case
Virgin Media has secured another victory in its long-running patent dispute with technology company Rovi Corporation.
In a judgment issued today (July 14) at the UK High Court, Rovi’s patent infringement claim related to technology for pausing live television was dismissed.
It was the eighth time the US-based company has been defeated by Virgin Media, originally founded by Sir Richard Branson as part of the Virgin Group but now owned by cable company Liberty Global.
Rovi’s latest claim focused on the ability to pause-and-resume programming on different set-top boxes.
The California-based company said Virgin Media’s TiVo box and its technology to enable users to pause a programme on one set-top box and resume it on another infringed a patent it owns.
But the claims were rejected by John Baldwin QC, who declared the patent invalid.
Virgin and Rovi have been locked in dispute since 2009.
Prior to today, the most recent case was in May this year, when WIPR reported that the High Court had invalidated a Rovi patent related to electronic programme guides.
Will Cook, partner at Marks & Clerk Solicitors, who represented Virgin Media, said it was a “comprehensive” victory and “further justification” of Virgin Media's position.
“In addition to the invalidation of eight patents in the High Court, Virgin Media has also opposed around 40 Rovi patents at the European Patent Office, resulting in a further six being found invalid so far,” Cook added.
Brigitte Trafford, chief corporate affairs officer at Virgin Media, said it believed the claims should never have been brought.
Samir Armaly, vice president of IP and licensing at Rovi, told WIPR that given “historical court statistics on similar patent proceedings” in the UK, it understood that the case against Virgin could be difficult and drawn-out.
“While we are disappointed by recent court rulings, we remain resolute and will continue to defend our valuable IP from ongoing infringement and safeguard the rights and interests of our existing patent licensees in the UK,” Armaly said.
“Rovi also intends to continue with the other patent trials pending against Virgin,” he added.
