Microsoft Sues TiVo To Help AT&T

Julie188 writes "Microsoft is suing TiVo, claiming patent infringement. Microsoft is doing this because TiVo has sued AT&T — and AT&T happens to be Microsoft's largest customer of Microsoft's Mediaroom IPTV technology. Microsoft says that TiVo has copied Microsoft's Mediaroom IPTV technology in its DVRs. If Microsoft wins, it would effectively block TiVo from selling DVRs without a licensing deal with Microsoft."

Re:Tivo

[Anonymous Coward]

You can do with with Tivo's, including transfers to your computer (burning to DVD/iPod/x-device) and since I have two Tivo's I can record 4 HD streams at once. Several people in my office have U-Verse and none can do that.

Re:Hahaha, wow.

[Thinboy00]

Nevermind [groklaw.net]

Re:Hahaha, wow.

[grcumb]

I'm not so sure its that funny.

Isn't tivo just serving as a surrogate for Linux here? After all, I believe Linux is at Tivo's core.

Does this not continue the chain started when Microsoft sued TomTom? Is it not a pattern of harassment of companies making money with a Linux core?

In a word, yes. Jeremy Allison (of Samba fame) just gave a talk about this [lca2010.org.nz] not two hours ago at linux.conf.au in Wellington, NZ. He stated that this would likely be Microsoft's modus operandi against Linux and FOSS in the near future.

Re:Tivo

[soundguy]

Tivo hit the market in 1999.

Re:Tivo

[Dun Malg]

Microsoft bought the stock directly from AT&T, so yes, they did pay them... directly. There is a difference, but it's largely semantic.

HOWEVER, this stock buy was in 1999, and the deal was with the old AT&T, not the current AT&T who used to be SBC before they bought the name. The old AT&T from which Microsoft bought $5 billion worth of stock is essentially now a chunk of Comcast, who bought AT&T's cable TV division. The $400 million dollar deal between Microsoft and AT&T for the Uverse infrastructure is wholly unrelated to the earlier deal.

Re:Hoist on their own petard...

[Dun Malg]

For what? Making a VCR with a computer? What single thing did they actually come up with?

Why don't you read the fucking patent [google.com] instead of just pretending they "patented recording TV with a computer" and getting all uppity "cos dat's bullshit"? Their patent is for their method of event and data buffering that allowed them to record TV on a ridiculously cheap 54mHz system. This is why there were (and are) still non-TiVo DVRs.

Re:Hoist on their own petard...

[Anonymous Coward]

There is a far cry from being best of class product and having what most would call "legitimate" patents. Tivo is certainly best in class, but there patents are absolute garbage that should never have been granted. Personally I hope Tivo are hoisted on their own petard, maybe a multi billion dollar loss would cause them pause in continuing there abusive nature.