Texas based Forgent Networks is trying to enforce patents it lodged nearly a decade ago which it claims give it the right to collect royalties on computer devices that store and playback audio and video transmitted signals.
This means that companies such as Microsoft with its Windows Media Center Edition and TiVo with their own-branded DVRs may have to pay millions in compensation.
Patent No. 6,674,960 specifically addresses recording television signals to a computer - “Computer controlled recorder of television signals having the ability for a user to select among a varity of stored signals for playback independent of recording of an audio and video stream”.
The hitch in Forgent’s argument may be that the date of submission of the key patents is unclear - indeed TiVo may have beaten them to it. This is sure to go to the courts for a decision, but if it does Forgent has substantial cash reserves to fall back on as it already owns, and enforces, a patent on JPEG compression that has brought it $100 million in licensing fees.
April 8th, 2005
Sony announced today that the first week sales of the PSP generated more than $150 million at North American retailers, which they claim outpaced the launch week sales for any other similar product. although it’s not clear if they are talking about numbers sold or
However it’s not clear if they are talking about numbers sold (500,000) or the revenue generated.
“The launch of PSP was everything we hoped for, with extraordinary consumer demand driving sales of hardware units alone upwards of $150 million in first week sales, far and away above those generated by any other product in the space,” said Kaz Hirai, president and chief executive officer, Sony Computer Entertainment America. “In only two weeks, PSP is having an immediate impact across the entire industry as consumers are clearly voting it the product of the year in 2005.”
“GameStop, Inc. has seen an extraordinary cross section of consumers come through our doors including hard core gamers, business men and women of all ages looking to get a PSP,” said Dan DeMatteo, vice-chairman and chief operational officer, GameStop Inc. “The overall entertainment value of PSP is giving it a mass appeal beyond any other product we have ever carried.”
April 8th, 2005