Sonicblue, TiVo settle patent spat

Sonicblue and TiVo announced late Friday that the two companies will dismiss their patent infringement claims against one another.

The two companies filed lawsuits against each other in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California late last year and earlier this year. Both cases were pending.

Both suits were for infringements on patents dealing with capabilities associated with digital video recorders (DVRs).

"We believe our energies are better spent expanding the market for digital video recorders (DVRs) rather than fighting each other. Both sides believe in the merits of their respective positions, but the overall success of the DVR category is what is most important to the companies at this time," the two companies said in a joint statement.

Sonicblue and Tivo representatives were not available to comment on the settlement.

The competing companies each maintain a digital video recording service. Sonicblue also sells recorders under its ReplayTV brand.

The patent dispute developed after Sonicblue first filed suit in December of last year, a day after receiving a patent covering 50 claims for developing devices that can pause and play back television shows. San Jose, Calif.-based TiVo in turn filed suit in January for a "multimedia time warping system"

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