OpenTV Sues Netflix Over Patents

Alleges Netflix is infringing on seven U.S. patents owned by OpenTV

By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/19/2012 3:50:58 PM

Interactive TV vendor OpenTV, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Kudelski Group, filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Netflix, alleging that Netflix infringes seven U.S. patents owned by OpenTV.

Netflix representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

OpenTV said it filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. OpenTV is represented by Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

Kudelski, whose holdings include conditional-access vendor Nagravision, acquired the portion of San Francisco-based OpenTV it did not already own in 2009.

OpenTV says its software is integrated in more than 160 million set-tops worldwide, enabling video-on-demand, digital video recording, advanced advertising and enhanced TV applications. Customers have included Time Warner Cable, Comcast Spotlight, Dish Network, Charter Communications, NBCUniversal and Suddenlink Communications.