SiriusXM Sued Over Radio Patents

A German research group filed suit against SiriusXM Radio Inc., claiming that the satellite radio provider is infringing four of its patents related to digital transmission and reception technology, according to Bloomberg BNA.

In a suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware on Feb. 22, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft claimed that Sirius XM made and sold radio equipment and services that infringe its U.S. patent Nos. 6,314,289, 6,931,084, 6,993,084 and 7,061,997. The patents cover technology for relaying and receiving digital radio signals.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is seeking damages for the claimed infringement and an order to prohibit SiriusXM from using its patented technology for its radio service and receivers.

Munich-based Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is known for inventing the MP3 digital audio format used to create and share music files.

SiriusXM had a sub-license for the four patents from WorldSpace International Network Inc., which reached an exclusive licensing deal for the patents with Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in 1998, the complaint said. SiriusXM’s sub-license was terminated in 2012 as a result of WorldSpace’s bankruptcy proceedings, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft said.

In 2015, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft told Sirius that it was infringing its patents, but the radio service said that “it believed that it had authority to continue using” the patented technologies, the research firm said in its complaint.