[BR7]

U.S. Patent Office Rejects Some Of TiVo's 'Time Warp' Claims Agency in Preliminary Finding Acted on Request From Dish Network and EchoStar

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, acting on a request by Dish Network and EchoStar, on Monday issued a preliminary rejection of two claims in TiVo's so-called "Time Warp" patent at issue in the years-long litigation between the two companies. In a statement, TiVo said the action taken by the patent office "is a preliminary finding, entered in the normal course before TiVo has had any opportunity to present its views."

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Ergen's Dish files breach of contract suit against Disney's ESPN

Charlie Ergen's satellite broadcaster, Dish Network, a unit of EchoStar, has filed a breach of contract suit against Walt Disney Co.'s cable sports behemoth ESPN.
The suit charges that ESPN gave Comcast Corp. and DirecTV better deals to carry ESPN Classic and ESPNU than it gave Dish and hence had violated a most-favored-nations clause in its contract. Both ESPN Classic and ESPNU are smaller sister networks of ESPN. Dish wants at least $1 million from ESPN, which declined to comment on the suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
While suits like these often provide some juicy details on contracts and prices, this one is sadly lacking. Dish Network claims that it "understands" that Comcast and DirecTV got more favorable deals, but it doesn't elaborate, citing confidentiality agreements.
Dish is notorious for being a hard negotiatior in the industry, and Ergen has a well-earned reputation for being litigious.

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[Spideybat]

Thanks! It's much appreciated. Looks like a plus for us.

[BR7]

Mistake on the Dish Network website

This week it is possible that Dish Network lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue if not more, all due to a mistake on the Dish Network website. This mistake made the $10 a month Platinum HD add on package available for free to anyone who subscribed to a Dish HD package. On August 1st graphics appeared on Dish Networks website that read as follows:
“Special Bonus! PlatinumHD Included FREE with any HD Package!”
We first reported about this here in The Satellite Dish on Monday and yesterday we reported that Dish updated their website to change the offer for new customers only. However last night I was contacted by a number readers notifying me that the “Free with any HD Package” wording was still on the website and is still being shown to everyone. Link to full story

Jumped on this in the nick of time

[Spideybat]

Originally Posted by BR7

Mistake on the Dish Network website

Jumped on this in the nick of time

Same here. Good reporting BR7!

[BR7]

Great news for Dishnetwork customers that own an iPhone and iTouch owners.It seems an app will becoming to access your slingbox .

While AT&T and Apple have still not changed their tune on 3G streaming – and the version of SlingPlayer Mobile submitted for inclusion in the US App Store only supports it over WiFi – the company have submitted a second version for international use that enables 3G access. Sling Media tell us they’ve “not heard back” on whether that second app will be approved or not.Source

[BR7]

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--TiVo Inc. (TIVO) won a court order that the judge estimates will result in about $200 million in damages from sister companies Dish Network Corp. (DISH) and EchoStar Corp. (SATS).
The sanctions, however, will only be paid if Dish and EchoStar lose their appeal of the initial ruling, which is ongoing. The award represents only a partial victory for TiVo, which originally sought $1 billion. It's the latest development in the long-running drama over technology that allows ...

Source: wsj.com

[BR7]

"We are pleased that the district court rejected Tivo's request to award a
billion dollars in sanctions and that it found that any violation of the
injunction was not willful. While we disagree that any amount of sanctions was
warranted, the decision confirms our belief that we designed around Tivo's
patent in good faith. We believe that we ultimately will prevail on appeal."

About DISH Network L.L.C.
DISH Network L.L.C., the nation's HD leader, provides approximately 13.610
million satellite TV customers as of June 30, 2009 with the highest quality
programming and technology at the best value, including the lowest all-digital
price nationwide. Customers have access to hundreds of video and audio
channels, the most HD channels, the most international channels,
state-of-the-art interactive TV applications, and award-winning HD and DVR
technology including 1080p Video on Demand and the DuoDVR ViP(R) 722 DVR, a
CNET and PC Magazine "Editors' Choice." Visit www.dishnetwork.com.

About EchoStar Corporation
EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), the parent of EchoStar Technologies
L.L.C., provides equipment sales, digital broadcast operations, and satellite
services worldwide. EchoStar has 25 years of experience designing, developing
and distributing advanced award-winning set-top boxes and related products for
pay television providers. The company includes a network of 10 full-service
digital broadcast centers and leased fiber optic capacity with points of
presence in approximately 160 U.S. cities. EchoStar also delivers satellite
services from eight owned and leased in-orbit satellites and related FCC
licenses. Visit www.echostar.com for more information.



SOURCE DISH Network Corporation

Kathie Gonzalez of DISH Network, +1-720-514-5351, press@dishnetwork.com; or
Marc Lumpkin of EchoStar, +1-303-706-5236, marc.lumpkin@echostar.com

Source: reuters.com

[Spideybat]

As I have stated before, I appreciate you keeping on top of this story.

[BR7]

Not a problem

[BR7]

Its been a while since any news came out.Here is the latest.

- Dish Network Corp. and EchoStar Corp. asked a federal appeals court to throw out a judge’s order that the companies stop using a digital-video recording service that he said infringes a TiVo Inc. patent.

Attorneys for Dish, the second-biggest U.S. satellite- television provider, today tried to convince a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington that it has changed its technology enough to no longer infringe TiVo’s patent. TiVo claimed the changes weren’t sufficient.

TiVo, a pioneer of digital-video recording services, won a 2006 trial that Dish infringed its patent, and the verdict was upheld on appeal. Dish continued to provide the service, saying it made alterations to avoid TiVo’s invention.

U.S. District Judge David Folsom in Marshall, Texas, sided with TiVo in June, ordering Dish and EchoStar to shut down the DVR service and awarding $192.7 million in damages against Dish. The appeals court later said it would allow Dish’s customers with digital-video recorders to continue using the service while company appealed Folsom’s ruling.

Folsom ordered Dish in September to pay about $200 million to TiVo for contempt of an order that it stop providing the DVR service.

TiVo is now urging the appeals court to stop Dish, claiming to be losing business while Dish profits from the TiVo invention. The three-judge appeals panel didn’t say today when it will rule.

EchoStar runs the digital set-top box manufacturing and satellite services businesses that were part of Dish before the Englewood, Colorado-based companies split.

Link to source