Updated: Court blocks Permanent Injuction ordering DISH DVRs disabled

[MikeD-C05]

Well lets see. Directv suddenly settled a three year contract to renew with Tivo and in the contract they write they will not sue each other. This means to me that Tivo was going to sue Directv till they settled this three year contract. So I look to see Tivo after the Dish win , start suing other companies that have infringed on their so called patent. Since they have the only two sat companies either working a settlement or a ongoing contract. Look to see the other cable companies besides Comcast which has a deal with Tivo , to start being sued or a contract.

I think you need a reality check here MTNMIKE. Read anything from Tv Predictions website to these three web boards and you will see that everyone is in agreement that Tivo has no future as a stand alone buisness. Their best bet is to be bought by ANY company so they can be used for software purposes and they can get out of the stand alone business. Sue everyone they can will keep them in business for awhile and keep money coming in , but long term they have no future .

 

[bhelms]

With so much attention focused to the suit and its outcome, I have to wonder what's going on inside TiVo otherwise? What do they have in the pipeline that could bring them to the level of a dual-tuner MPEG-4 compliant HDDVR like E* and soon D* are/will be offering? If I lose the functionality of my 622's DVR, I'm not inclined to make any quick move. Would I ultimately buy a TiVo unit? Not unless it offers functionality close to the 622's. Would I switch to D*? Maybe, but only to one of their units (HR20?), and then I'm not happy that I probably will only be able to lease it. My point is that unless TiVo offers a competitive unit I won't be buying anything they offer, and I suspect many others will take that approach. How long can TiVo last just licensing a technology that's soon to become stale? Will any part of their $90 mil windfall give them a boost in new product introduction, or will they have to take (continue on?) the slow track to see how "their" market develops?

Many questions here as far as TiVo's future is concerned...

 

[RVD420]

Tivo's days are numbered as an independant company.

Dish got the injunction stayed.

The appeal filed by dish will not gewt heard for 6-9 months.

The patent infringement lawsuit Dish has against Tivo is scheduled to be heard this comming Spring. If and when Dish wins their lawsuit against Tivo it will be a whole new ballgame. Dish will take Tivo for everything they are worth.

The best thing for both parties is to agree to cross license their patents.

 

[shanewalker]

DVR-detente.

I think that makes sense.

 

[MikeD-C05]

YES a compromise would be refreshing for a change. INstead of the legal rangeling that goes on with Charlie and his lawyers. For once work a deal with Tivo and make all the lawsuits go away. Then we can use the best of Tivo software with Dish's fast guides and maybe we could use their Tivo to go software with the pocket dishes. Think of networking the dvrs like Tivo does. I believe that working a deal would be the best for Dish customers and Tivo. IF they do work a deal they can make the 79 million settlement go away and replace it with a per dvr fee that Dish customers already pay. Either way I do not want to lose my dvrs on any of my three accounts in the next 30 days or less.

 

[shanewalker]

The Dish/Tivo legal struggle might just end up like the Apple/Creative tussling that just got resolved.

Tell me this doesn't sound like a parallel...and an echo of a lot of the postulation above.

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1987

and also gets covered, here:

http://news.com.com/Apple+settles+w...million/2100-1047_3-6108901.html?tag=nefd.top

 

[Tom Bombadil]

If I had a choice of paying Tivo $90M for rights or buying Tivo for $680M, I would pay the $90M. Who would want to invest $680M in a company like Tivo?

 

[RIRWIN1983]

me, i just need to raise 679,999,999.99 more to buy them as i wont spend more that .01 of MY money to buy them, lol

 

[srs913]

tivo is old news

 

[normang]

If you only need 51% to be a controlling interest in a company, would it still cost 680 mlllion?

 

[bbtkd]

Here's why Dish would want to buy Tivo

If I had a choice of paying Tivo $90M for rights or buying Tivo for $680M, I would pay the $90M. Who would want to invest $680M in a company like Tivo?

You are right in that Tivo's business of selling their DVR's is not worth it - but what you should want to buy them for is their patents and existing agreements. They apparently have DirecTV and Comcast convinced that their patents are enforceable. If Dish bought them, then you can bet that this move would at minimum pay for itself by making the lawsuits and fees go away, and would provide some income from current and future agreements. But - these patents will only be valuable until dish and cable companies deploy DVRs that do not infringe. One way or another, I doubt Tivo will exist in two years...

 

[Voyager6]

If you only need 51% to be a controlling interest in a company, would it still cost 680 mlllion?

Actually, you only need 50.1% for total control. If you can acquire a majority interest (own more stock in a company than anyone else), you should be able to control the board and thus change the direction and decision making of the company.

 

[foghorn2]

At this point E* should cleverly buy out Tivo. They will be in control of the software thas runs D*, Cox and Comcast :

 

[long_time_DNC]

It would be a very wise move. Probably exactly why they won't do it.

 

[visiter555]

It would be a very wise move. Probably exactly why they won't do it.

While Direct, Cogeco, Cox et als sit back & watch Dish acquire control of products they need for their business?

Between them all they would probably go to the feds to block any such acquisition or at least make sure Tivo does a poison pill approach to any buyout/takeover.

 

[jayn_j]

This morning's Denver Post had a business brief that stated that TIVO has petitioned the court to re-instate the injunction. Just posturing, but noted for completeness.

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_4234214

TiVo seeks order refreezing sales of EchoStar's DVRs
TiVo Inc. has asked a U.S. appeals court to reinstate a judge's order that would halt Douglas County-based EchoStar Communications Corp.'s sales of competing digital video recorders, saying a delay may drive TiVo out of business.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., froze the order this month at EchoStar's request, allowing the satellite-television provider to avoid cutting off service to as many as 3 million DVR subscribers within 30 days.

"If EchoStar's infringement is allowed to continue while appeal is pending, TiVo is at risk of losing its company," TiVo said Wednesday in a court filing. "The situation for TiVo is critical." TiVo, based in Alviso, Calif., has recorded losses every year since going public in 1999.

The freeze doesn't affect U.S. District Court Judge David Folsom's ruling that EchoStar must pay $89.6 million for using TiVo's patented technology without permission. TiVo, which created the market for DVRs, is trying to defend its turf as demand grows for devices that can pause TV shows while recording them and tape several programs at once.

Folsom ordered EchoStar to halt sales of its DVRs on Aug. 17, saying they infringe on TiVo's patents. EchoStar persuaded Federal Circuit Judge Paul Michel to freeze Folsom's injunction until the appeals court could consider both sides' arguments.

 

[long_time_DNC]

E* has a prime opportunity here and they're going to let it slip away...

 

[phloyd]

Blaming TiVo for this is like blaming me because your brother stole my car, I pressed charges and he was found guilty.

The patents were knowingly and willingly violated.

I have issues with stupid patents but I believe that the patents TiVo holds are were truly innovative in their time.

 

[Mtnmike]

Okay all the wishful thinkers and straw grabbing delusional posters in here have prevailed. Dish is buying TIVO and they are going to drop the lawsuit against themselves. That's because TIVo is in a corner and has no choice but to let go of this golden egg that has hit them in the face and make all of you happy. Oh and yes there really is a Santa Claus.


You are only kidding youselves with these fantasy thoughts and arguements. Fact of the matter is that Echostar is over a big barrel and it is not going to get better anytime soon. But many of those posting on this will never accept what this court action means or eventually results in.

 

[sonnyboy11]

Okay all the wishful thinkers and straw grabbing delusional posters in here have prevailed. Dish is buying TIVO and they are going to drop the lawsuit against themselves. That's because TIVo is in a corner and has no choice but to let go of this golden egg that has hit them in the face and make all of you happy. Oh and yes there really is a Santa Claus.


You are only kidding youselves with these fantasy thoughts and arguements. Fact of the matter is that Echostar is over a big barrel and it is not going to get better anytime soon. But many of those posting on this will never accept what this court action means or eventually results in.

Thems bettin words. What do ya got? 'Cause I'll take the bet. Then we'll see who is kidding who, Mr. big barrel.