Microsoft sued over DVR patent negotiations

Microsoft has been sued by a group of interactive television patent holders who claim that Microsoft duped them into granting a royalty-free license on the grounds that the company was not planning to release its own DVR system. Only weeks after negotiations took place between the group of patent holders -- operating under the name Intellivision, unrelated to the 80s game console -- and Microsoft, the corporation launched and started advertising for its Ultimate TV DVR product. The negotiations apparently took place way back in 2001, so it's slightly odd that the inventors waited until January of this year to file their claim to revoke the original licensing deal (and gain unspecified damages, naturally). Microsoft hasn't yet responded to the case other than to file a purely procedural motion, so we'll have to wait to see how this one plays out.

[Big E small e @ Jun 3rd 2007 2:54PM]

"...operating under the name Intellivision, unrelated to the 90s game console"

*chuckle*

You mean 80's.

Damn kids... Get off my lawn.

[rylan @ Jun 3rd 2007 3:08PM]

It was actually released in 1979, if we're being technical... =)

[Ed T @ Jun 3rd 2007 2:58PM]

Shocker! -- Microsoft is behaving unethically and screwing smaller companies. They should have learned from Bob Metcalf's ordeal 20 years ago when Microsoft lied to him and stole his IP. When he complained, the M$ lawyer's response was TBF "You made a fatal error, you trusted us."

[Matt @ Jun 3rd 2007 3:06PM]

Microsoft. Proving YET AGAIN that it's always easier to apologize than to ask for permission.

Especially since, with nigh infinite amounts of money at their disposal, they can "apologize" (pronounced: cha-CHING!) their way out of ANYTHING.

[Ryhan @ Jun 3rd 2007 3:14PM]

I find it amusing how microsoft, for the large part, simply buys up or steals from smaller companies. They have such a monopoly that they can do essentially anything!!!

Before you start yelling at me, i admit that that was a bit of an over-generalization; but still, its fun to bash the status quo... :)

[Ceralor @ Jun 3rd 2007 3:25PM]

I've never heard of this product, oddly. The Ultimate TV, that is.

[Jon A. @ Jun 3rd 2007 3:32PM]

Ultimate TV was a DVR/Web TV product made specifically for DIRECTV.

[Ryhan @ Jun 3rd 2007 3:32PM]

It lies in the top-secret, super-evil dungeon-lab-thingies of all things microsoft, creating poor-quality knock-off's of already released products, stealing the press and somthering all who oppose its violent path... %)

[tekdroid @ Jun 3rd 2007 3:32PM]

I refuse to believe lovable, cuddly Microsoft could sink to these lows.

They manufacture the world's best social police state 'sharing' device, the Zune. They manufacture the world's finest operating system, Windows Vista.

They are cool with a capital K.

Has evil infiltrated their ranks, for the first time in their history?
How is this possible?

[Ryhan @ Jun 3rd 2007 5:09PM]

They're also totally open-source, all about sharing, freedom, and flexibility. They make some of the most reliable, usefull software and hardware out there. I mean seriously, has anyone ever heard of a pc crashing or in need of troubleshooting? The zune lets you share songs and upload videos so freely, I'm amazed that record companies haven't sued!!! And stupid, monopolistic apple continues to make life complicated for it's users (the majority of the world's population), adding layer after layer of DRM, and unreliable software that dosen't work with anyother machine!!!

Huh? ;~)

[michael @ Jun 3rd 2007 3:34PM]

Ok, I don't want to sound like such a MS fanboy here, but all big companies usually buy smaller companies sometimes. It doesn't haven't to do anything with being a monopoly or anything (and Microsoft actually has rival products, so it's totally not a monopoly if you have a choice). Take for instance Google. Google has bought DoubleClick, YouTube, Picasa, Keyhole Inc. (Google Earth), Where2 (Google maps), and a ton of companies. Take a look at this Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_acquisitions

And even if web search isn't a monopoly yet, there's been news about the worry of Google taking info. from users and storing it for a long time, with no reasons as to why. You can look that on the web. While I'm not trying to pin Google as a monopoly here, I'm trying to say that big companies usually do buy small companies sometimes. Not usually for monopolisic reasons, but because it's allows their products to work better, get more features put in, and even acquire patents that could make their product even more of a success. It's all just to make more and enhanced products. Not so that they can just take over the world. So please don't call Microsoft a monopoly just because they acquire companies, and use the software to make their own proudcts out of them. There are tons of software companies that do that.

[sendspamhear @ Jun 3rd 2007 3:38PM]

fix that "90's" part ASAP!! your geek license has been suspended(unless it was a typo of course ;) )

[Ghead @ Jun 3rd 2007 4:38PM]

Yawn. Yes, the big evil Microsoft, & no, I am no big fan of their mediocre software.

Remember when IBM and GM were targets of anti-trust investigations? Did they screw people in the meanwhile - jury is out on that, but I don't think so. Monopolies don't hold over time, and in another 10 years we'll be whining about the next Google or Microsoft.

I particularly like how Microsoft "stole" IP from Bob Metcalf. (1) Metcalf didn't invent IP, he invented Ethernet and (2) TCP/IP was developed with public funds by the Defense Dept.

These guys are probably just sore losers - they didn't price their product correctly and now they're whining. Happens a lot - but they didn't invest the the development of the Ultimate TV software.

Microsoft should just buy TiVo.

[Mr. B @ Jun 3rd 2007 4:59PM]

It's a shame UltimateTV isn't around anymore. I liked it better than TiVo.

[J Greely @ Jun 4th 2007 8:22AM]

Someone should tell these clowns that UltimateTV was Microsoft's second DVR. The first one was released in 1999.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1999/dec99/digitalpr.mspx

-j

[DEEZNUTZ @ Jun 3rd 2007 8:02PM]

As a former ULTIMATE TV owner, I can say that it PWNS TiVO even till this day. The interface was so much more intuitive and cleaner. Sad that MS dropped it. Though there are still a few owners still using it.
Wouldn't mind seeing it resurrected.

[Spiff @ Jun 4th 2007 12:20AM]

Aye, a former UTV (UltimateTV) customer myself. I stopped using it this past December as wanted a HD-DVR. It was a hard to give up the UTV. It was by far the best DVR - at least in my opinion. Anyways, I wonder why they are only suing now? I mean, they haven't been making new UTV's in quite a few years. DirecTV will not allow new one's to be signed up. (if you're an existing customer and have one, you can still use it).

[Ed T @ Jun 4th 2007 12:28AM]

IP as in Intellectual Property, not the "IP" you gearheads assume. There is a bigger world than your XB360, check it out some time.

[andy @ Jun 4th 2007 11:42AM]

Isn't anyone going to say that this is why we need patent reform?

We need to stop this intellivision group from halting innovation and progress, right?


Or wait. This is someone suing MS, so it's big bad MS now, right? We all know these one sided comments would be completely different if it were MS suing intellivision.