Item 1. Legal Proceedings
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
In the normal course of our business we are involved in legal proceedings. In the past, we have litigated to enforce our respective patents and other intellectual property rights, to enforce the terms of license agreements, to protect trade secrets, to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others and to defend ourselves or our customers against claims of infringement or invalidity. We expect to continue to be involved in similar legal proceedings in the future, including proceedings regarding infringement of our patents, and proceedings to ensure proper and full payment of royalties by licensees under the terms of our license agreements.
Other than to the extent the proceedings described below have concluded, we cannot predict the outcome of any of the proceedings described below. An adverse decision in any of these proceedings could significantly harm our business and our consolidated financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
Merger Litigation
On May 15, 2020, a lawsuit was filed by a purported stockholder of Xperi in connection with the merger between TiVo and Xperi. The lawsuit was brought as a putative class action and is captioned Local 464A United Food and Commercial Workers Union Pension Fund v. Darcy Antonellis, et al., No. 2020-0376-JRS (Del. Ch. filed May 15, 2020). The complaint names as defendants the Xperi Board members. The complaint alleges breaches of fiduciary duty against the Xperi Board members for failing to properly consider and disclose the non-binding proposal from Metis Ventures LLC to acquire all of the outstanding equity of Xperi for cash, violating their continuing fiduciary duty to evaluate the TiVo merger in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and failing to adequately disclose material facts germane to the vote on the proposed merger between TiVo and Xperi. On June 29, 2020, the Court granted the plaintiff's motion for leave to supplement the complaint; the supplement contained additional allegations regarding the failure to disclose material information. The complaint seeks a judgment declaring that the Xperi Board members breached their fiduciary duties, awarding equitable relief that deprives the Xperi Board members of all benefits they would realize as a result of the merger between TiVo and Xperi, awarding class damages, awarding plaintiff's attorneys’ fees, expenses, and costs, and awarding any further relief the court deems just and proper. On September 11, 2020, the Court granted the plaintiff’s and Xperi’s stipulation to dismiss the complaint.
Patent Infringement Litigation
From time-to-time in the ordinary course of our patent licensing business, we are required to engage in litigation to protect our intellectual property from infringement. While litigation is never our preference and we prefer to reach mutually agreeable commercial licensing arrangements with third parties, it is sometimes a necessary step to effectively protect our investment in patented technology. As a result of these lawsuits, defendants have often filed Inter Partes Review (“IPR”) petitions with the U.S. Patent Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (and other similar post-grant proceedings outside of the U.S.) seeking to invalidate one or more of the patents-in-suit. We are currently engaged in multiple lawsuits with several third parties.
Comcast Patent Infringement Litigation
Since April 1, 2016, TiVo’s subsidiary Rovi Corporation and various of its subsidiaries (collectively, “Rovi”) have been involved in a series of lawsuits against Comcast Corporation (“Comcast”) pending in the United States International Trade Commission (the “ITC”) and United States District Courts. The lawsuits arose when Comcast’s twelve-year patent license with Rovi (and its predecessors) expired on March 31, 2016. After being unable to agree on terms for a renewal before the license expired, Rovi initially filed multiple lawsuits against Comcast, and has since filed additional lawsuits against Comcast in various venues in the United States.
To date, Rovi has filed three ITC investigations (along with four companion district court cases asserting the same patents) and two standalone cases in various United States District Courts involving a total of 37 patents. Comcast has filed IPRs against all of the patents involved in these actions.
In the first ITC investigation, the ITC issued (1) a limited exclusion order prohibiting the unlicensed entry of certain digital video receivers and hardware and software components thereof that infringed two particular Rovi patents and (2) a cease and desist order prohibiting Comcast from conducting in the United States several enumerated activities, including, among others, selling and leasing any infringing set top boxes that it had already imported. In addition, the ITC found certain of Rovi’s asserted patents either not infringed by Comcast or its set top box suppliers, lacking a domestic industry or invalid. All appeals of the first ITC investigation have been exhausted and the ITC’s decision is now final.
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In the second ITC investigation, the ITC issued (1) a limited exclusion order prohibiting the entry into the United States of infringing digital video receivers and related hardware and software components that infringed one of Rovi’s asserted patents, and (2) a cease and desist order directed to Comcast. The ITC also found certain of Rovi’s asserted patents either not infringed by Comcast, lacking a domestic industry or invalid. Both Rovi and Comcast have filed appeals of the ITC’s final determination in the second ITC investigation, which appeals are pending.
In the third ITC investigation, the Administrative Law Judge issued her Final Initial Determination in which she found that Comcast’s X1 platform infringes two Rovi patents and recommended the issuance of a limited exclusion order and cease and desist order. On October 13, 2020, the ITC issued its notice of its decision to review in part the Final Initial Determination and requesting written submissions on various issues. The ITC determined to review certain issues. The ITC’s Final Determination is currently due on November 30, 2020.
All of the pending district court cases that Rovi has filed against Comcast are stayed pending either (a) the final outcomes in their corresponding ITC cases, or (b) final rulings (including all available appeals) of pending IPRs, with one exception being that one case is proceeding with respect to a single patent. A trial date has not been set yet in that case.
On November 9, 2020, we announced that we entered into a license agreement with Comcast. In connection with the license agreement, the parties settled all outstanding litigation. This matter is now concluded.
Videotron Patent Infringement Litigation
On June 23, 2017, Rovi Guides, Inc. and TiVo Solutions Inc. (together, “TiVo”) filed a patent infringement complaint against Videotron Ltd. and Videotron G.P. (together, “Videotron”) in Toronto, Canada, alleging infringement of six patents. Videotron was a prior licensee under the Rovi patent portfolio. The first week of trial on four patents was held the week of March 9, 2020. The Federal Court of Canada closed due to COVID-19 on March 16, 2020, and the trial was temporarily stayed. The trial resumed on May 25, 2020, conducted remotely by video, and concluded on June 17, 2020. The parties filed their written closing submissions on September 30, 2020. The closing oral arguments are now scheduled for January 20-22, 2021. There is no set date for the court to issue its verdict.
Bell and Telus Patent Infringement Litigation
On January 19, 2018, TiVo filed a patent infringement complaint against Bell Canada (and four of its affiliates) in Toronto, Canada, alleging infringement of six patents. On February 2, 2018, TiVo filed a patent infringement complaint against Telus Corporation (and two of its affiliates) in Toronto, Canada, alleging infringement of the same six patents. Bell Canada and Telus were previously indirectly licensed to some of Rovi’s patents through a prior agreement between Rovi and one of their suppliers. The Bell and Telus cases are being heard together for purposes of pre-trial and trial proceedings. On August 27, 2019, the court issued an order bifurcating the liability phase from the damages phase of the case. There is no set trial date or procedural schedule for the damages phase of the cases. The liability and injunction trial on four patents was held from July 13 – August 6, 2020. The written closing submissions are due November 30, 2020 and the closing oral arguments are scheduled for January 14 – 15, 2021. There is no set date for the court to issue its verdict.
NVIDIA Patent Infringement Litigation
On May 8, 2019, Invensas Corporation and Tessera Advanced Technologies, Inc. filed a complaint against NVIDIA Corporation (“NVIDIA”) in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging infringement of five patents, and requesting, among other things, that NVIDIA be ordered to pay compensatory damages in an amount no less than a reasonable royalty. NVIDIA answered the complaint on July 1, 2019 and subsequently moved to transfer the case to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The court denied NVIDIA’s motion to transfer on September 17, 2019.
In September 2020, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) instituted IPRs of several patents-in-suit. The parties stipulated to an order staying the litigation pending resolution of the IPR proceedings, and to dismissal of claims relating to the two patents. For the remaining IPRs, oral arguments are scheduled for June 2021, and final decisions are expected in September 2021.