back to article Microsoft sues TiVo in AT&T solidarity play

Microsoft has sued TiVo. Why? Because TiVo sued AT&T. Not to mention some allegations of patent infringement. Dow Jones reports that Microsoft filed suit against the leading DV recorder manufacturer late Tuesday in the US federal court. Redmond claims that in displaying programming information, TiVo illegally uses technology …

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  1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Thumb Down

    Innovation from Redmond...

    Film at 11.

  2. Jeremy 2
    Grenade

    I'm obviously in the wrong field.

    I clearly should have been a patent lawyer. They must be the only people really profiting from this dumb as hell tit-for-tat behaviour.

  3. James O'Brien
    Troll

    So after this is finished. . .

    Nokia wikk sure Microsoft, then Apple will sure Nokia, then IBM will sue Apple, then Rambus will sue IBM all over this. (Im sure I missed some one in this list but you get the idea)

    /kicks back with a bottle of beer and some popcorn. This should take the better part of a decade to finish off. Fun times.

    Trolls trolls trolls, here we go again.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Horns

    This will be interesting

    This is similar to the recent UK patent ruling where the judge ruled the programme scheduling etc was software (I think that was it - can't be bothered to search) so there was no case. This seems similar as it appears to be about the same thing. Whats the bet that this won't be thrown out in the US?

    And yes, when I read it the first thing I thought was Microsoft want an agreement out of TIVO. Obviously Microsoft are after some of their technology so they can put it into their crappy media centre.

    1. Al Jones
      Go

      You've obviously never used it

      Given a choice between Tivo and Windows Media Centre (or Center), I'll be spending my money on Windows Media Center (and with the imminent release of the Ceton Cable-card tuner, I'll have that choice). There are features of Tivo that are better than the equivalent features in Media Centre, but overall, WMC is a far more flexible solution than Tivo (which is why it's taken this long for CableLabs to allow end users take full advantage of it).

      Tivo is suing AT&T for using a technology that Microsoft delivered to AT&T. Microsoft is responding because it's Microsoft's patent that is under attack, not AT&T's.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Not novel

    So Tivo are displaying programming information, which is sent to them in the broadcasts.

    How can a patent be allowed regarding displaying this?

    Akin to a book library program displaying the list of held books for a particular author.

  6. Version 1.0 Silver badge
    Stop

    I'm going to patent my dick

    and then sue the lot of them.

  7. criscros

    Power to i4i...

    ...and all others like them.

    That is all.

  8. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
    Gates Horns

    Sorry, being a bit thick.....

    something useful, it’s a pity MickySoft don’t send as much effort into finding the bugs in their crapware.

    So can somebody please clearly identify the MickySoft/AT&T technology/product/hardware involved in this case... SO THAT I CAN MAKE SURE I NEVER BUY ANY OF THEIR FUCKING CRAP!!!

    I think the ‘merkins have got the war on terror all wrong; Obama should immediately launch a B-52 strike wing against MickySoft and turn Redmond into a big crater in the ground. Then the world will be safe for normal people.

    Is there any coincidence that in the Star Wars series of films on of the machines of the evil empire is called an AT-AT (AT&T)

  9. kain preacher

    @11:24 GMT

    And yes, when I read it the first thing I thought was Microsoft want an agreement out of TIVO. Obviously Microsoft are after some of their technology so they can put it into their crappy media centre.

    Did you read the article ?? if Tivo wins against ATT they can then sue Microsoft as its a microsoft product that ATT is being sued over .

    1. Robert A. Rosenberg
      Boffin

      Sueing AT&T IS sueing MS

      If you look at the situation with AT&T and MS, you will find that the agreement between the two has MS indemnifying AT&T for any suit growing out of AT&T's use of the MS product (this is a standard license clause - The user if sued will be reimbursed and/or defended by the supplier of the software). Thus MS is actually the one being sued with AT&T being used as a surrogate (who TIVO selected to try to avoid going after the actual claimed infringer - ie: MS).

    2. Al Jones
      Thumb Down

      Tivo took the first shot

      "Obviously Microsoft are after some of their technology so they can put it into their crappy media centre."

      That explains why they waited until Tivo started a patent spat.

      Oh, hold on a second, surely if this was about Microsoft wanting something from Tivo, they wouldn't have waited for Tivo to throw the first stone?

  10. IR

    Next up

    Suing the radio times for displaying programme information in a graphical form.

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