Gemstar-TV Guide slaps Digeo with patent suit

Gemstar-TV Guide International has filed a patent infringement case in Federal Court in the Central
District of California alleging that Digeo Inc.’s
Moxi interactive program guide infringes certain of Gemstar-TV Guide’s
interactive program guide patents.

No stranger to lawsuits itself, Gemstar-TV Guide’s
complaint asserts that Digeo has engaged in and continues to engage in
willful infringement of Gemstar-TV Guide’s patents through its Moxi
guide, and that Charter Communications, by deploying unlicensed Moxi
guides, is also liable.
The lawsuit was filed after failed patent
licensing discussions between Gemstar-TV Guide and Digeo, and after
Digeo filed antitrust litigation against Gemstar-TV Guide. Gemstar-TV
Guide believes that Digeo’s claims in that
antitrust lawsuit are without merit.

Stephen H. Kay, Gemstar-TV Guide’s executive vice president and general
counsel commented, “We have attempted over an extended period of time to
engage in patent licensing discussions with Digeo regarding the Moxi
guide. Digeo’s refusal to negotiate a patent
license with us, and its decision to file suit against us, left us no
option except to pursue legal remedies to protect the value of our
intellectual property.”