TiVo and Netflix sign patent agreement

Entertainment technology company TiVo and Netflix have entered into an agreement, which includes intellectual property, in a bid to “deliver a better entertainment experience to consumers”.

In a statement, released yesterday, November 28, TiVo will continue integrating Netflix into TiVo set-top boxes available to consumers through pay-TV providers and retail stores.

A separate IP agreement provides Netflix with a licence to the TiVo patent portfolio and a licence to the Intellectual Ventures (IV) patent portfolio for over-the-top offerings. TiVo has a partnership with IV to use those patents.

This latest agreement is one of the first licences granted under the exclusive partnership between TiVo (formerly Rovi) and IV, announced earlier this year.

“Our agreements with Netflix represent a major milestone for TiVo as we expand our offerings for the fast-growing over-the-top space, and further demonstrates our commitment to delivering innovative technologies to new and emerging markets,” said Tom Carson, CEO of TiVo.

Bill Holmes, Netflix’s global head of business development, added: “The partnership between Netflix and TiVo dates back to our early days of streaming video. Building on this history, the agreements provide consumers freedom to watch their favourite TV shows and movies whenever and wherever, with an integrated experience across more devices.”