TiVo Rules the Courtroom

• Report this Comment On June 03, 2009, at 5:10 PM, philbur8 wrote:

  After working for dish (lower case emphasized) at one of their call-center dungeons, for a few years, I think Charlile is finally getting what's coming to him. I can tell you from working for him, my lasting impression of him and his company was one who was willing to walk over anyone and everyone to be successful. Rules, ethics, and just common human decency were "for the little people" over at dish. Dish treats their employees somewhere between 2nd class citizens and disposable lighters. It is a repressive place to work. I'm glad some judge finally had the stones to call this weasly-Mr. Crabs out. Justice may be slow, but it does eventually come. May cloudy weather continue to block their signals.

• Report this Comment On June 03, 2009, at 7:18 PM, PaulEngr wrote:

  Funny that Tivo has never attempted to sue their long time rival ReplayTV for patent infringements. ReplayTV is almost an unknown at this point because they made a stupid move...they had a superior product but an inferior marketing arm.

• Report this Comment On June 04, 2009, at 1:03 PM, angusthermopylae wrote:

  Perhaps Dish is holding out for a realignment of the patent process. Great article about the "other side" at Groklaw:

  http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20090603224807259

  Basically, there is a strong belief among many that software patents in general are wrong and damaging to businesses. One of the hard-argued patents along these lines is Amazon's 1-Click patent--they patented the idea that you can buy an item with a single mouse click.

  The phrase "time shifting" is one of those things that gets software developers riled up. It doesn't matter how you do it; Tivo has the patent, and you have to pay them.

  As a matter of disclosure, I am not a Dish customer--I agree with philbur8 in that they treat their customers pretty poorly, and I moved away from Dish a few years ago--partly because of customer treatment, and partially because of the Tivo suit. What can I say? I love my DVR (yes, I know this makes me somewhat of a hypocrite--but as a consumer, you have to live in the world as is...changing it is something else.)

• Report this Comment On June 04, 2009, at 1:41 PM, cloudofjoy wrote:

  I have been a Tivo owner for more than eight years. I own multiple Tivo's. I have had Echo Star's DVR, and Comcast's DVR, but neither come close enoght to what Tivo is to make me happy. Why infringe on patents with an inferior product? They should have saved all that money they spent trying to avoid paying Tivo, nd just paid a licenseing fee for Tivo to do it for them.

Add your comment.