Back to Intellectual Property News
DDB Technologies Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against ESPN
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Austin, TX -- DDB Technologies L.L.C. (“DDB”) has sued ESPN, Inc. (“ESPN”) for patent infringement in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (Austin Division). The DDB patent portfolio consists of U.S. Patent Nos. 5,526,479; 5,671,347; 6,204,862; 7,373,587; and a pending continuation application (collectively, the “DDB Data Driven portfolio”) and covers a range of advanced interactive media–based technologies.
The DDB Data Driven portfolio, currently licensed to SportsLine.com, Inc. and MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (“MLBAM”), discloses technologies that enable services such as:
- Live simulation of a sporting event
- Play-by-play text, graphics, and animation
- Generating information about the state of the game
The filing of the lawsuit against ESPN follows a recent announcement of an agreement between DDB and MLBAM that settled all outstanding litigation between the parties, which began in 2004.
Dr. David Barstow, DDB’s President and Founder and lead inventor of the DDB patents commented, “ESPN has known about the DDB patents for many years. It is unfortunate that we had to initiate litigation against them, but hopefully they will do the right thing and take a license to these innovative technologies.”
According to Michael McLaughlin at IPinvestments Group, who serves as the licensing agent for DDB, “ESPN is clearly a large player in the sports interactive media and Internet market. We believe that a license to the DDB Data Driven Portfolio will give ESPN the tools and protection needed to continue to be a leader in this competitive marketplace. The DDB Licensing Program has clear momentum and we expect numerous additional licensees in the near future.”
DDB is represented by McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP (Chicago, IL) and Winstead PC (Austin, TX).
About DDB Technologies, L.L.C.
DDB Technologies, located in Austin, Texas, is an intellectual property holding company established to capitalize on the value of its patented technology. The technology described in the patents supports a variety of interactive media services related to sports events. The company’s President and Founder, Dr. David Barstow, has a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University and is the lead inventor of the technology. Dr. Barstow is an internationally recognized authority in Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering.
Back to Intellectual Property News
