Tivo (TIVO): More Trouble It Can't Afford (DISH)(SATS)

Tivo (TIVO) was such a promising consumer electronics start-up. The firm owned the digital video recorder business and then that was taken away from it by the cable companies, satellite companies, and products ranging from PCs to the Slingbox. There isn’t much of Tivo left.

Tivo has been able to get a few licks in with the competition by taking them into court for patent infringement. The fighting over IP issues has gotten so bad that it extends to suits over what each company says in public about the others.

According to The Wall Street Journal "Dish Network Corp (DISH). and EchoStar Corp (SATS). filed a lawsuit against TiVo Inc. in response to what it said were statements by TiVo that the satellite television companies’ new digital-recording software infringes one of TiVo’s patents."

An outstanding use of shareholder money.

Douglas A. McIntyre