Gemstar-TV Guide Reaches Patent Deal with MobiTV

Patent-License Rights Related to Interactive Program Guides for Mobile-Video Programming

By Glen Dickson & Jon Hemingway -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/14/2008 12:37:00 PM

As part of its expansion into new platforms for video content, navigation giant Gemstar-TV Guide International reached a patent-license agreement with mobile-TV provider MobiTV.

The multiyear deal includes patent-license rights related to interactive program guides for mobile-video programming made available through the MobiTV service, both directly by MobiTV and by MobiTV for mobile- and broadband-service providers.

“Due to the ever-expanding amount of video content available, we believe interactive guidance technology is quickly becoming a must-have tool not only for the TV at home, but for other emerging platforms, including online, IPTV [Internet-protocol TV] and mobile,” said Rich Cusick, Gemstar-TV Guide’s senior vice president for digital media, in a statement. “We are pleased that MobiTV, recognized for offering the most extensive mobile entertainment experience to users on the go, and its partners will benefit from TV Guide’s guidance patents.”

Specific terms of the agreement with MobiTV -- which has 3 million subscribers worldwide, with the majority in North America -- were not disclosed.

This agreement is one of several Gemstar locked up over the past week.

The company announced last week that two deals were signed for use of its IPGs in Sony USA televisions and Polaroid Labs digital-video recorders and televisions.

And last month, Gemstar-TV Guide agreed to be acquired by Macrovision, a provider of digital-protection technology, in a deal worth $2.8 billion. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter.