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Virgin wins EPG patent appeal case
# 30 March 2011, 07:35 by Chris T
Virgin Media has won an Appeal Court case, confirming that it did not rip off another company’s ideas in the design of its Electronic Programme Guide (EPG).
The case stemmed from an original complaint by Gemstar in 2008 that Virgin Media infringed three of its patents.
The patents related to the way the EPG compiles and presents information about forthcoming TV programmes and how it all ties up with PVR recording functions.
Gemstar took VM to court in 2009 after failing to reach a licensing agreement with the cableco over the technology but lost the case when the court decided the patents were invalid.
This year, Gemstar, now owned by the Rovi Corporation, went to the Appeals Court over two of the patent decisions, but in this week’s decision has lost again.
“We have vigorously defended our assertion that Gemstar’s claim was unfounded and that they should not have brought this case and the court agrees emphatically,†said Virgin Media’s legal spokesman.