A PATENT DISPUTE OVER Comcast’s X1 operating system could have a wide-ranging impact on Canadian cablecos' plans to rollout the set-tops here.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) issued a final ruling upholding a claim by TiVo parent Rovi Corp. that Comcast violated patents on technologies that let users schedule set-top DVR recordings remotely via mobile device, according to a FierceCable report.
The ruling will put pressure on Comcast to forge a licensing deal, the report continues. Comcast, however, said it will simply remove features related to the patents while it pursues an appeal.
In addition to halting imports of X1 set-tops from Mexico and Asia, the ITC also ordered Comcast to stop sales of X1 boxes already in North America. Rogers, Shaw and Videotron license X1 technology from Comcast and distribute set-tops with the same patents.
