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TiVo and Microsoft end patent dispute and ITC complaint following settlement

TiVo and Microsoft end patent dispute and ITC complaint following settlement

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TiVo and Microsoft reach an agreement to end an ITC complaint and lawsuits over DVR patents.

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Microsoft and TiVo appear to have struck an out of court patent deal, dismissing all pending litigation between the two firms. Microsoft originally filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) in January 2011, seeking to block imports of TiVo's set-top boxes in the United States. An 8-K filing with the SEC this week reveals that Microsoft has dropped its ITC complaint and all pending litigation against TiVo, following an agreement between both companies.

TiVo has also agreed to dismiss its counterclaim against Microsoft in a Californian US District Court and has revealed that "no patent rights were granted to Microsoft by TiVo." It is not clear whether the agreement is part of an undisclosed patent deal, or whether both companies have simply agreed not to pursue further action against each other. TiVo received a $215 million patent settlement from AT&T in January, after a two year battle over DVR patents. Microsoft's original complaint referenced four patents that appeared to be related to the company's Mediaroom software, which powers AT&T's U-verse systems. We have reached out to both companies for comment on the agreement, and we'll update you accordingly.

Update: We have received an official statement from TiVo, provided below.

We are pleased that Microsoft agreed to dismiss its various legal actions against TiVo, resolving all pending litigation. The agreement comes on the heels of the related recent settlement with Microsoft's client AT&T and does not include any money changing hands or TiVo granting any patent rights to Microsoft.