DISH Sues BritBox, Alleging Platform is Infringing on Streaming Technology Patents
The satellite provider claims that BritBox has been unlawfully using its patented adaptive bitrate technology, and has ignored communications regarding the matter from DISH for years.
DISH may not be able to do much about the rate at which people are leaving the pay-TV market, but it can do something about the improper use of its streaming technology. The satellite provider is alleging that BritBox has been using some of its tech without a license, and according to Cablefax has hauled the streamer into court to settle the issue.
- DISH is suing BritBox over alleged misuse of its adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming technology.
- DISH claims it contacted BritBox about licensing the technology five years ago, but has never received a response.
- The satellite company has successfully sued other companies like Peloton over ABR violations in the past.
You’ve Been Warned
DISH claims that BritBox has been using its adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming technology without a license since 2018. That technology senses the bandwidth available from a given internet connection, and then automatically adjusts to give the viewer the best possible resolution. The technology was first developed by Move Networks and was added to the DISH portfolio after 2010.
BritBox is owned by the BBC and ITV. Representatives from both outlets got letters from DISH in 2018, asking if they’d like to work out a licensing agreement to use ABR. DISH says it has continued reaching out since, but has never received a satisfactory response.
“BritBox’s actions have caused DISH to suffer irreparable harm resulting from the loss of its lawful patent rights and the loss of its ability to exclude others from the market,” DISH said in its filing. “Upon information and belief, BritBox will continue these infringing acts unless enjoined by this court.”
The satellite provider wants the court to block BritBox from using its ABR tech without a license permanently, and it wants the judge to order BritBox to cover its legal costs, to boot.
Not Afraid to Get Litigious
DISH hasn’t been shy about hauling alleged patent infringers into court in the recent past. In September, a similar lawsuit claiming patent violations was filed against the live TV streaming service Fubo, a situation which DISH says it has been trying to remedy for four years.
DISH is not the only satellite company on shaky terms with a streaming platform at the moment; DIRECTV is keeping a close eye on Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service Max these days. Max recently launched its CNN Max hub with a wide variety of content from its cable news channel, but that launch was quickly followed by a letter from DIRECTV saying that the importation of so many series from CNN might violate the carriage contract between the two companies.
Suits against Peloton, iFit, and Lululemon have all ended in wins for DISH, so its legal team is well-versed in the ins and outs of its ABR technology by now. That could spell trouble for BritBox, and the company may end up leaning toward a settlement rather than allow the expensive court case to play through in its entirety.
BritBox
BritBox is a hub for hundreds of TV shows and films produced in the UK. Enjoy your favorite classics like Doctor Who (1963) and Mr. Bean (1990), new original series like Sticks and Stones (2019) and There She Goes (2018), and watch special live events, tune into premieres, and keep up to date with current affairs and soap operas streaming direct from the UK. Oftentimes programming that premieres in the UK can be viewed internationally at the same time via the service.