AfterDawn: News

Sirius and XM hit with patent infringement lawsuit

Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio have both been sued by Austin, Texas-based company Keystone Autonics, for alleged patent infringement. Keystone Autonics claims that both radio companies are using technology taken directly from patents it owns. Sirius and XM are already experiencing several problems, which include the RIAA and critics of their proposed merger.

The patent in question was awarded to George Hindman of Keystone Autonics in January. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is also clashing with the pair over a bill the trade group supports that would prevent users from being able to locally store and record songs aired over satellite radio.



Sirius and XM have previously agreed to merge in a $13 billion agreement, but have met opposition from several sources including the FCC, which indicated the companies would have a hard time getting that deal through and that an approval would be unlikely.

Source:
DailyTech

Written by: James Delahunty @ 20 Mar 2007 19:03

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• 8 comments

• Mr-Movies

  The patient infringement is specific to input and display processing of wireless data for satellite radios. Are XM and Serious making their own chips for this interface? How are they infringing? A pretty vague article with little meat to it.
  
  The RIAA what can you say other then lets abolish their group, that’s right you can’t get rid of the unions no matter how bad they are. They can drive companies into the ground but you can’t get rid of them once there in place.
  
  I love it the government is saying the merger is highly unlikely, they must be holding out for more money.

  21.3.2007 08:45 #1

• SProdigy

  Figures... more patent junkies trying to make a buck. Where was this guy when XM and Sirius launched? Oh yeah, he waited for the possible merger, so he can cash in on the larger company with a heftier stock price. RIAA just needs to cool it; they've already started the slow death of internet radio with that horrible royalty scheme.

  21.3.2007 09:05 #2

• brownie34

  I have a sirius and I love it.I have a cd recorder and I hooked up my sirius to it,so now i am breaking the law by recording?Thats crap.
  The RIAA are greedy idiots.
  remember the days when we had cassettes and would sit by the radio and record.i have many cassettes from the radio.It's all about money anymore.We can't do nothing with.We pay for satellite but now we can't record cause it is against the law?
  Whats next?

  21.3.2007 10:43 #3

• Auslander

  Originally posted by brownie34:I have a sirius and I love it.I have a cd recorder and I hooked up my sirius to it,so now i am breaking the law by recording?Thats crap.
  The RIAA are greedy idiots.
  remember the days when we had cassettes and would sit by the radio and record.i have many cassettes from the radio.It's all about money anymore.We can't do nothing with.We pay for satellite but now we can't record cause it is against the law?
  Whats next?it was illegal then to, it's just that the corporations were chasing the big pirates and still making money off good artists. now that pretty much all music is crap, they'd rather do no work and make more money.

  21.3.2007 10:50 #4

• ZippyDSM

  I am sorry but I own the media I buy,if its not in a retail format I might not can resale it as a used item,but tis still mine to make do with as I see fit.

  21.3.2007 14:13 #5

• Mr-Movies

  Wrong answer Auslander it was legal back then Sony tried to make it illegal but lost their suit. Now that we have the WONDERFUL Millennium Act era listening to music could be illegal.

  22.3.2007 07:52 #6

• Auslander

  recording music off the radio has been illegal pretty much since the invention of the radio, amigo. it just wasn't prosecuted.

  22.3.2007 08:01 #7

• DirkMaste

  Sorry, but you are wrong. Per the Supreme Court, whatever is broadcast over the air unencrypted was considered public domain unless specifically stated otherwise. I've never heard a radio broadcast, other than sporting events, have a copyright notice. It is perfectly legal to record. It was always rationalized that the quality was low enough that no one cared.
  
  Now, with digital broadcasts, and encrption, the story is different.

  23.3.2007 05:35 #8