According to a 2014 survey, 61 percent of consumers used Internet streaming each week to access movies, TV shows and other content. That percentage represents a 17 percent increase from the year before.
As consumers increasingly use Internet streaming, the patents for the related services and products become more valuable. With that in mind, let’s consider the lawsuit OpenTV recently filed against Apple.
OpenTV, which pioneered interactive TV software, claims that a number of Apple’s products and services, including iTunes, the App Store and Apple TV, infringe on five of OpenTV’s patents. The patents are reportedly for delivering, storing, viewing and playing interactive content on a variety of devices, including digital TVs and mobile devices.
The lawsuit contrasts Apple with other companies such as Google and Disney, both of which recently entered licensing agreements for OpenTV’s patents. The company is seeking an injunction against Apple’s use of the patents, as well as compensatory damages.
Whether you’re bringing a claim of patent infringement or defending against one, it is crucial to have an experienced intellectual property attorney on your side to protect your interests. An intellectual property lawyer can take swift and appropriate legal action to stop and prevent infringement, as well as investigate the validity of patents and monitor patent portfolios.
Shulman, Hodges and Bastian LLP is a full-service business law firm that handles intellectual property disputes in California. To learn more about our areas of practice, please visit our intellectual property overview.
You may also be interested in our previous patent-related post, “Protecting intellectual property: The university connection.”