Gemstar Sued in Patent Case: Gemstar International...

Gemstar Sued in Patent Case: Gemstar International Group Ltd., which develops interactive television program guides, was sued by Scientific-Atlanta Inc., the No. 2 U.S. maker of TV set-top boxes. The action, filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, accuses Pasadena-based Gemstar of infringing three patents for on-screen data systems. Norcross, Ga.-based Scientific-Atlanta claims Gemstar has misappropriated inventions patented in 1989, 1991 and 1995 that provide pay-per-view TV subscribers with televised information about available programs and billing procedures. The suit seeks unspecified damages. Executives of Gemstar, which filed a patent suit against Scientific-Atlanta in 1998, were not immediately available to comment.