Spacenet patents trial#

Despite initial success at the trial level against DirecTV, the asserted patent claims ultimately were deemed invalid or not infringed. In litigation related to data transmission, Finisar Corp., a telecommunications company, sued DirecTV LLC and other cable companies over patents related to scheduling transmissions. This lawsuit, which dealt with digital video recording (DVR) technology, was settled in May 2011. In recent years, the largest patent litigation involving the satellite industry was pursued by TiVo against EchoStar Corp. While the cable industry has faced a substantial number of patent lawsuits over the last few years, the satellite industry is no stranger to patent litigation as well. HughesNet responded by launching a new satellite, EchoStar 17, and a new broadband service called HughesNet Gen4. ViaSatвЂ™s $400 million satellite investment now claims to provide American satellite Internet users with speeds comparable to or faster than DSL. In March 2012, ViaSat launched a new satellite, ViaSat-1, and a new broadband service, called ViaSat Exede. In recent months, both ViaSat and HughesNet have significantly increased the capacity and bandwidth of their satellite Internet offerings. Two of the largest providers of satellite Internet in the United States are Hughes Network Systems LLC, or HughesNet, and ViaSat Inc. However, satellite broadband companies added several hundred thousand new users in 2012, and satellite InternetвЂ™s over 1 million subscribers now comprise more than 1 percent of the broadband market.

Since its widespread use in the early 2000s, the market for broadband Internet has been dominated by cable and DSL providers. вЂњBroadband InternetвЂќ commonly refers to Internet that is always on and is faster than traditional dial-up Internet. By considering the strategies below, the satellite industry can be better prepared to manage the impact of patent litigation. Patent litigation has the possibility of substantial rewards, but also contains significant risks. Recent filings against the primary satellite broadband providers highlight the importance of patents to this industry. However, with this growth in technology, satellite companies can expect an increase in patent litigation. The pace of technology has continued to move forward in the satellite industry, most recently in the area of broadband satellite Internet.