is NextPVR menu patented?

[KarterJK]

Over at Silicondust forums, there is much ado about grid style menus and patents, everyone is stating that the WMC Windows Media Center menu is patented by Rovi. So to use it, they must either get their information from Rovi (they can use it for free) or pay them to use the menu style. (if all of the makes sense).

So, since NextPVR is very similar to WMC in menus (but gets the EPG info from Schedules Direct), does NextPVR pay Rovi a licensing fee, OR, is it different enough that it doesn't matter?

[Graham]

(if all of the makes sense).

Not to me it doesn't ... I am pretty sure that most countries require that a patent application has something new and innovative for a patent to be granted. A menu is a list is a menu and I am pretty sure that menus and lists have been around since God was a boy. I'll bet a year's wages that nobody at NextPVR HQ is paying royalties to Rovi.

Edit: Is this about copyright and EPG data?

[sub]

Over at Silicondust forums, there is much ado about grid style menus and patents, everyone is stating that the WMC Windows Media Center menu is patented by Rovi. So to use it, they must either get their information from Rovi (they can use it for free) or pay them to use the menu style. (if all of the makes sense).

So, since NextPVR is very similar to WMC in menus (but gets the EPG info from Schedules Direct), does NextPVR pay Rovi a licensing fee, OR, is it different enough that it doesn't matter?

Nope, I'm not paying rovi to use this patent for the tv guide grid. I'm sure if I selling my software in the US, Rovi's lawyer would be sending me a letter demanding their cut.

At the end of the day, there is patents on pretty much everything. I'd probably need to pay dozens of companies to supply NextPVR entirely legally in the US.

That said, in New Zealand where NextPVR is developed, the laws are very different on software patents than the US (though that may change if TPP goes through).