Virgin Media claims final patent win against Rovi

Virgin Media has claimed victory in an appeal hearing relating to the eleventh and final outstanding patent case brought against it by Rovi.

The Court of Appeal dismissed Rovi’s claims in a ruling delivered last week, upholding a May 2014 High Court ruling that found Rovi’s claims to be invalid.

Rovi had sued Virgin Media over a patent related to sending two signals to a TV or set-top box – one prompting a viewer to request more information on-screen, the other providing the information.

Rovi has made 11 patent claims against Virgin Media since 2008, but the UK pay TV operator claims that all of these have now either been revoked by a court ruling or by the European Patent Office.

“Virgin Media’s staunch defence of Rovi’s meritless patent claims has been vindicated in every single case heard by the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Each and every Court decision has confirmed that our position regarding Rovi patents has been justified,” claimed Brigitte Trafford, chief corporate affairs officer at Virgin Media.