Advanced Television

Policy

Motorola and Huawei settle secrets case

Motorola Solutions and Huawei Technologies have entered into an agreement to settle all pending litigation between them on breach of trade secrets. Motorola Solutions has agreed to withdraw its claims and dismiss, with prejudice, Huawei as a defendant in the Motorola v. Lemko litigation pending in the Chicago court. For its part, Huawei has agreed […]

April 14, 2011

Phorm, BT escape privacy prosecution

The UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has decided not to prosecute BT and Phorm for secretly tracking the online habits of 18,000 Internet users. BT and Phorm sparked controversy in 2006 and 2007 when it emerged that the companies were covertly trialing software tracking users behaviour in order to deliver targeted advertising. BT ditched the […]

April 12, 2011

Content owners plot anti-piracy scheme

A coalition of content owners is working on a detailed proposal for a voluntary scheme which would see Internet Service Providers (ISPs) block dozens of sites facilitating online piracy, following a series of meetings convened by the communications minister Ed Vaizey, reports the Financial Times. The initiative comes amid continuing delays to the implementation of […]

April 11, 2011By Colin Mann

FCC net neutrality rules overturned

As anticipated, the US House of Representatives has voted to overturn the so-called ‘net neutrality’ rules designed to create an open Internet. A clash with the Senate and President Obama is now certain to follow. The House voted 240 to 179 in favour of a Republican-backed resolution that seeks to block the rules approved by […]

April 11, 2011By Colin Mann

Time Warner, Viacom counter-sue over iPad TV

Time Warner Cable and Viacom have counter-sued each other in an escalating battle over whether cable companies have the right to distribute TV shows to devices such as Apple’s iPad. TWC asked a court for a declaratory judgement regarding Viacom’s demand that the cable company stops delivering its programming on devices such as the iPad. […]

April 8, 2011

Google criticised for anti-piracy efforts

A US congressional hearing into IP piracy has suggested that Google was falling short in its anti-piracy efforts. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee’s Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet Subcommittee that is investigating Web sites accused of pirating intellectual property, noted certain of Google’s efforts, such as removing apps connected with […]

April 7, 2011By Colin Mann

Momentum building for US piracy legislation

Lawmakers from both parties in Congress are gathering at the Capitol with representatives from industry to once again denounce the effects of online piracy and counterfeiting on the US economy. “The Internet has regrettably become a cash-cow for the criminals and organised crime cartels who profit from digital piracy and counterfeit products,” said House Judiciary […]

April 4, 2011

UK ISPs “mustn’t set their own rules”

Speaking at a House of Commons debate on net neutrality, the executive director of the Open Rights Group called for Government to step in to prevent ISPs making up the rules for Internet service. Jim Killock said: “What we have here is ISPs setting the rules. They are the de facto regulation of content on […]

March 31, 2011

Virgin Media wins appeal over Rovi EPG patent

Virgin Media has won an appeal ruling confirming it didn’t infringe European patents for interactive programme guides held by Rovi’s Gemstar-TV Guide International because the patents were deemed invalid. The ruling by a three-judge panel in the Court of Appeal in London upholds a lower court decision from 2009 that two of Gemstar’s three patents […]

March 29, 2011

UK High Court overturns pub piracy conviction

A licensee has had a conviction for screening foreign satellite football overturned by the High Court in London. A pub in the Midlands was originally convicted and fined £500 (€600) in June 2009 for showing games using an Arab Radio and Television (ART) Network system, after the case was brought by Media Protection Services (MPS). […]

March 28, 2011