OpenTV files patent suit against Netflix
December 20, 2012
Digital television and advanced advertising solutions specialist and Kudelski Group company OpenTV has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against online entertainment streaming service Netflix in the US District Court in Delaware.
The lawsuit alleges that Netflix is wilfully infringing seven US patents, in particular those covering aspects of over-the-top TV technology, including: the use of viewer information to make recommendations; digital rights management; and video playback.
Kudelski had unsuccessfully sought to engage Netflix in patent licensing discussions during the past year, according to the lawsuit. “Companies like Netflix have, in essence, stood on the shoulders of giants, largely focusing their R&D efforts on aggregating these previously patented technologies and using them to provide a rich customer experience,” Kudelski said in the complaint, which noted that over the past 20 years, OpenTV and other sister companies within the Kudelski Group had developed many of the underlying technologies that OTT market entrants, such as Netflix, were building on top of their networks to provide their services.