DISH / EchoStar keep fighting back, sue TiVo again over DVR patent

The timeshifting DVR patent that's been at the core of TiVo's closed-but-not-quite-closed lawsuit with DISH / EchoStar is being contested yet again by the very same company. Not content just appealing to the Supreme Court regarding the Federal Circuit's ruling against a rehearing for the last case, DISH / EchoStar has started up a whole new lawsuit against TiVo, requesting a Delaware court find the new version of their DVR software does not infringe TiVo's patents -- presumably as an embittered and pre-emptive measure before TiVo could kick off its inevitable next suit. Don't worry if you're confused as all hell, so are we -- the point is, despite the fact that decisions have been made and rulings handed down, these two companies are still managing to sue, re-sue, and counter-re-sue one another.

[Totalfixation @ May 30th 2008 9:34PM]

May seem like a basic idea to the common tech community but its a patent tivo owns and they have every right for there compensation.

[Bill @ May 30th 2008 9:36PM]

I really don't care anymore, as long as my Dish DVRs keep working. They can sue each other for the rest of eternity.

[bolezhinkov @ May 30th 2008 9:46PM]

can we sue them for something?

[andres @ May 30th 2008 9:47PM]

not if they sue you for asking

[Christy McGrory @ May 30th 2008 9:49PM]

surely If theyre gonna keep suing each other then theyre just gonna end up where they started again.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ May 30th 2008 9:51PM]

I'm just gonna switch to Comcast or Direct to make them shut up...

[Tony Rayo @ May 31st 2008 7:15AM]

Comcast said they would be switching to TiVO DVR boxes, and I think are in fact beta testing this, but lawsuits could get in the way. Hopefully not though. The Scientific Atlantic/Motorola boxes stink.

[A.C.E.R. @ May 30th 2008 10:03PM]

Oh good, somebody's got to give the starving lawyers some work.

[grant @ May 30th 2008 10:28PM]

I've never used a TiVo or a Dish DVR so I have a question. What makes "timeshifting" different from pause?

[Derek @ May 30th 2008 11:46PM]

Google is your friend.

[grant @ May 31st 2008 12:32AM]

My comment is the top result.

[Reader @ May 31st 2008 4:02AM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_shifting

[Edward @ May 30th 2008 10:49PM]

I'll sue Dish for getting rid of Monsters HD. Bastards

[AJ in the East Bay @ May 31st 2008 12:42AM]

Oh, noes! You said "Monsters" which contains the word "Monster". So, speaking of lawsuits, get ready to be sued by Monster Cable.

Oh, no, I wrote "Monster" in this reply, so I can also be sued! Crap!!

[Micah Blomgren @ May 30th 2008 11:17PM]

B.S. without end. And the winner is "the lawyers" raking in scads of cash.I wish I had a patent on a method of suing someone, then I could sue all these a$$#@|{s.

[Laughing Man @ May 30th 2008 11:23PM]

Actually those poor lawyers are on staff as worrkers and paid by salary. This will be one of those years they actually have to do work. Time to earn that back pay.

[Frankenstein Black @ May 31st 2008 1:00AM]

Man Dish, would you stop flailing about and "pay Tivo for the rhymes you stole from them" already? You continue to look more and more like the Douche Network! Beside, what ever happen to that new DVR dripping with all that scary good Sling Tech? Yea, thought so...

[Brian @ May 31st 2008 9:40AM]

It's right here.

[Tony Rayo @ May 31st 2008 7:13AM]

This stinks, I was hoping to get my Comcast TiVO-powered DVR later this year. Oh well, it looks like Comcast will still be forced to open up the cablecards so people can rent/buy their own units. Then I won't have to settle with a Motorola dual-tuner HD DVR box where half of the plugs on the back are disabled by firmware (thankfully I can still pull most data thanks to the firewire port working and D-VHS drivers for PC).

[jamesFF @ May 31st 2008 3:56PM]

Is there a way I can get a DVR without a subscription? I think they would be great for surveillance cameras.