According to a report by Reuters, Apple has lost a legal battle against OpenTV over video streaming patents. According to the ruling by the German court, Apple must not use streaming software infringing OpenTV’s patents in its devices sold in Germany, including iPads, iPhones and the Apple TV.
Apple was sued by Kudelski’s OpenTV group in 2014, claiming that various products of the American tech giant infringe its patents, including the iPad and iPhone. The Dusseldorf court said in its ruling “The claim is predominantly valid and well-founded.”
The Swiss company (Kudelski) has developed and acquired an array of digital TV technologies over the last many years. The company has now become a big player in the video- streaming market by virtue of its OpenTV acquisition in 2010. The Swiss group now has more than 4,500 patents and patent applications in its Intellectual Property portfolio.
Earlier Kudelski sued Netflix
The Swiss company has also filed multiple suits against Netflix in the last few years in Europe and the United States. However, last year, Netflix and Kudelski agreed on a settlement after Netflix prevailed in several suits. Kudelski also has a pending patent litigation against the iPhone-maker in the US.
After losing the legal battle against OpenTV over video streaming patents, it isn’t clear what steps Apple will take to comply with the court’s ruling. The officials of both Apple and Kudelski have declined to comment on the issue.