Only months after TiVO filed a patent infringement suit against Microsoft IPTV customer AT&T, Microsoft is now turning the legal screws on TiVo.
This week, the computing giant filed a suit in San Francisco claiming that the DVR provider infringed on patents related to on-screen guides, navigation and other technology that enables consumers to buy videos online.
An article in the Wall Street Journal suggests that the suit is revenge for the lawsuit filed against their customer AT&T, which currently uses Microsoft's DVR software and Mediaroom IPTV products.
And while Microsoft said it would be willing to drop the suit if TiVo would sign a licensing agreement, TiVo maintains that Microsoft's move to "intervene" will not affect the lawsuit it has filed against AT&T and is nothing more than a way to protect its largest TV customer.
"Rather, these actions are part of a legal strategy to defend AT&T," TiVo said, in a statement. "We remain confident in our position that AT&T will be found to infringe on the TiVo patents asserted."
For more:
- Wall Street Journal via Dow Jones has this article
- LightReading also has this analysis
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