Looks like Rovi Corp. is serious about its patents.
Attorneys from McDermott Will & Emery in Menlo Park and Washington D.C. filed a complaint Tuesday for Rovi asking the International Trade Commission to begin an investigation against Sharp Corp. and two U.S. subsidiaries for patent infringement.
Santa Clara-based Rovi develops and licenses technology used in interactive program guides for televisions, set-top boxes and other devices. Rovi claims that several LCD televisions and Blu-ray players made by Sharp infringe three patents related to its guides and parental control technology and wants the ITC to ban imports of those products.
The complaint comes on the heels of a settlement agreement between Rovi and Toshiba Corp. announced July 12. Rovi, again represented by McDermott Will & Emery, had sued Toshiba last October in both Delaware federal court and in the ITC for infringement of three patents, one of which is also being asserted in the ITC complaint against Sharp.
The multi-year agreement resolved the suits and lets Toshiba use Rovi’s interactive program guide patent portfolio in its televisions, and Blu-ray players and recorders, as well as mobile devices. Details of the licensing agreement were redacted in court documents, and Rovi spokesperson Linda Quach declined to provide additional details.
Meanwhile, Rovi is also suing Amazon.com, Inc. and IMDB.com, Inc. in Delaware federal court for infringing five patents related to its electronic program guide technology. Attorneys from Durie Tangri in San Francisco are representing Rovi in that matter.
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