TiVo goes after Dish Network users

Posted on Saturday, August 19, 2006 by MegaZone

A Special Message to DISH Network Subscribers

TiVo is a pioneer in Digital Video Recorder (DVR) products and services. TiVo is a relatively small company whose entire business centers around expanding and advancing DVR functionality and technology. TiVo introduced DVRs to consumers and protected its inventions with patents. EchoStar is a very large media company that provides DVR products and services in direct competition with TiVo. Unlike TiVo partners such as DIRECTV and Comcast, EchoStar has refused to enter into an agreement with TiVo which left TiVo no choice but to defend its intellectual property in federal court.

After several years of expensive litigation, in April 2006, EchoStar’s DVR products were found by a jury to be infringing one of TiVo’s patents. TiVo is pleased that a federal court has recognized that TiVo’s business will be irreparably harmed if EchoStar were allowed to continue to infringe TiVo’s patent. Any shutdown of DVR functionality for existing DISH Network customers is entirely and directly due to EchoStar’s infringement of TiVo’s patent rights. It is unfortunate that DISH Network’s actions have put its customers in the awkward position of potentially having DVR functionality disabled but DISH Network customers who want to ensure uninterrupted DVR service can get DVR products and services from TiVo and its partners.

If you would like more information about products from TiVo and its partners, please complete the form below.
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The form is on the web page – I linked to it. I submitted my info to see what they send me. :-)

About MegaZone

MegaZone is the Editor of Gizmo Lovers and the chief contributor. He's been online since 1989 and active in several generations of 'social media' - mailing lists, USENet groups, web forums, and since 2003, blogging.    MegaZone has a presence on several social platforms: Google+ / Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / LiveJournal / Web.    You can also follow Gizmo Lovers on other sites: Blog / Google+ / Facebook / Twitter.
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  • excaliburca

    So I’m assuing EchoStar has been served an injuction to shutdown it’s DVR functionality on it’s DVRs?

  • megazone

    See the entries from earlier today for the full story.

  • anonymous

    That web page and form are pretty over the top. I would have advised against it. -Dave Zatz

  • mrmac14

    I think it would very ballsy and cool for TiVo to offer free or heavily reduced prices on TiVos to all ex Dish DVR customers as a final way of saying “Screw you EchoStar, you lost and we got a ton of new customers.

  • megazone

    I didn’t think it was that bad. There has been a lot of chatter around the net from people blaming TiVo or the judge for the decision, when the blame is with EchoStar. The webpage is kind of aggressive, but it clearly lays out the issue.

    I think it is also designed to put more pressure on EchoStar to just settle this thing. TiVo is ready to take their customers.

    And, really, sign up for an LJ account. Anonymous comments are screened because they’re usually spam. Plus anyone can post and sign ‘Dave Zatz’ but if you have an account we know it is you. And you get email notification when someone replies to you. They’re free, you can use a throwaway email if you’re worried about that. :-)

  • pabell

    I am an Echostar/Dish network Customer. I also Have Tivo, When initially read this I “thought” it meant Echostar would intentionally try to disable “Tivo” then I read it again. If EchoStar is wrong the hey Just partner with them and call it a night. I know a few friends who went with their DVR and not Tivo, I am silently laughing because “I told you so” and their DVR cant do 1% of what Tivo can do.