EchoStar Asks to Join Smart-Card Lawsuit

EchoStar Communications Corp. asked a U.S. court for permission to join Canal Plus Group’s piracy suit against NDS Group, saying it also was a victim of attacks on its digital-TV encryption technology.

Vivendi Universal’s Canal Plus unit accused NDS of pilfering smart-card technology, which lets consumers access pay-per-view digital TV programs. NagraStar, a joint venture of EchoStar and smart-card manufacturer Kudelski, also wants to join the lawsuit.

Canal Plus and NDS, both digital-television providers in Europe, are in settlement discussions, EchoStar said in court papers filed in San Francisco federal court.