Jury Tells Verizon To Pony Up Following Patent Dispute

ActiveVideo Networks won damages totaling $115 million as a result of a jury trial regarding the company’s patent-infringement suit against Verizon Communications.

A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found Verizon had infringed on all asserted claims of the intellectual property owned by ActiveVideo during the deployment of Verizon’s FiOS television service.  

The decision reportedly upholds ActiveVideo’s rights as the inventor of technology dealing with the delivery of such advanced television applications as video on demand (VOD) and interactive TV. The company filed suit against Verizon in May 2010.

The patents in question include:  

>> United States Patent No. 6,034,678, “Cable Television System With Remote Interactive Processor;”
>> United States Patent No. 5,550,578, “Interactive And Conventional Television Information System;”
>> United States Patent No. 6,100,883, “Home Interface Controller for Providing Interactive Cable Television;” and
>> United States Patent No. 6,205,582, “Interactive Cable Television System with Frame Server.”? 

Commented Jeff Miller, president and CEO at ActiveVideo Networks, after the verdict, “We are seeking immediate payment of the damages that have been awarded by the court; in addition, our legal team, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, will be filing an injunction against Verizon to prevent any further unlawful use of our technology.”? 

He continued, “Coupled with the court’s ruling invalidating Verizon’s 6,381,748 patent, this verdict provides further support for our customer Cablevision in their defense against Verizon’s injunction claims within the U.S. International Trade Commission.”?