ActiveVideo claims a victory in Verizon dispute

Interactive TV specialist ActiveVideo Networks has claimed a victory in its ongoing legal battle with US service provider Verizon over patent claims.

The US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled that Verizon’s claims to two patents, which have been central to suits launched by the company against ActiveVideo and Cablevision, and a counter-suit filed by ActiveVideo, were invalid.

“The decision is important to ActiveVideo and to our customers,” said Jeff Miller, president and CEO of ActiveVideo Networks. “Obviously we’re pleased at the elimination of Verizon’s claims against our company, but it is equally important that the ruling removes claims by Verizon against our customer, Cablevision.”

Miller said that ActiveVideo had shared its technology with Verizon and had tried to reach an agreement to deploy its Cloud TV system on the FiOS platform from 2005, but that Verizon had declined to do business with it and had instead infringed its patents. A trial date has now been set for July 12.