NDS claims win in Echostar case

NDS has received close to US$19 million (€14.4 million) in litigation costs following the US Supreme Court’s denial of a petition by US broadcaster EchoStar and TV technology company Kudelski over allegations of abetting piracy leveled against NDS in the US.

Echostar filed a US$2 billion claim against NDS in 2003, alleging that NDS posted codes compromising the security of its satellite platform on the DR7 website.

Abe Peled, executive chairman, NDS Group said: “This brings an end to this long drawn-out process in which we vehemently denied all allegations of piracy which were made against us over a decade ago. Piracy is an issue throughout the industry and injurious to all in the value chain; it is only with the active anti-piracy efforts of companies such as ourselves that the pay-TV industry is able to evolve and continue to enable people to enjoy premium TV viewing.”