Gemstar files lawsuit against Virgin
January 28, 2008
Gemstar, the News Corp controlled TV listings company, has initiated patent litigation proceedings against Virgin Media in the English High Court. Gemstar allege that the Virgin companies infringe three of Gemstar's European patents, including techniques for providing certain interactive programme guides (IPGs), and for handling recordings from IPGs.
We have worked diligently to license Virgin Media for their distribution of various set-top boxes that contain IPGs covered by our patents, but negotiations did not lead to a resolution,” said Samir Armaly, executive vice president, intellectual property and licensing, Gemstar-TV Guide.
“The substantial value of our European patent portfolio has been recognizsd by leading service providers as well as leading consumer electronics manufacturers in the UK and throughout Europe. While we would have preferred to reach a commercial solution with Virgin Media, we ultimately have a responsibility to our shareholders, licensees, and other stakeholders to protect the value of our intellectual property.