The same Chau v. Millet box infringement

Core tip: As the "Early bird" millet box, recent days are not good. After being sued by Youku potatoes for infringing content, the millet box was accused of violating the technology patent by the Shenzhen electronic accusation.

After the smartphone, a number of it vendors have turned their eyes to the living room. Around the smart TV and a variety of "boxes", a slings struggle again opened the curtain.

As the "Early bird" of the millet box, the recent days are not good. After being sued by Youku potatoes for infringing content, the millet box was accused of infringing the technology patent by Shenzhen and Zhou Electronics (002052).

"We have filed a lawsuit against Millet, the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court has already accepted the case." October 18, Xiang, the head of the electronics marketing department, confirmed to reporters that the court had already accepted a patent lawsuit request from the same continent, and that they were still preparing to bring in more lawsuits.

However, the electronic side of the continent is unwilling to disclose specific prosecution claims, including the amount claimed. Xiang said that they chose millet as the object of prosecution, not for the "hype", but the attitude of millet and communication is not smooth, so as the traditional TV set-top box enterprises in the same state decided to fight back.

The event after the network fermentation, has caused both sides of the saliva battle, Millet Technology co-founder Chuan, with the Continent Electronics chairman Ming successively on the micro-blog to talk about each other.

For the charges of the same continent electrons, on the afternoon of October 18, Millet said in a statement to the economic report 21st century: "We have not received any legal instruments related to the continent or the patent claims from the same continent." The Millet box related function design, realizes all is original, did not have any plagiarism behavior. ”

Ai Media Consulting CEO Zhang that the recent turmoil in the market, said, "for the manufacturers want to do the formal brand, TV box still has a lot of barriers and pressure, such as policy, copyright, patents and so on." "These problems will become more apparent as competitors grow," he said.

In fact, including music, millet, Alibaba, with the continent electronics and Huawei and other manufacturers from different backgrounds, are eyeing the "living room" of this market, they also have their own box products.

And the future as the market "players" more and more, competition will be a variety of means. The booming TV "box" market will usher in more smoke.

Four violations of the same continent

The same Chau electronics for the millet box charges, obviously early preparation.

Starting from the evening of October 16, Shenzhen and the state electronics under the official micro-bo "with the continent to fly to see" continuously. As of the press deadline, the same continent has listed four of the Millet box infringement charges.

The first patent is related to remote control operation. According to the description of the same continent, millet box remote control operation of a certain operating method, suspected of violating the same state "set-top box and set-top box remote control operating system and Method" (ZL200710073318.2) patent. The patent was applied by the same state in 2007.

The second patent, "Mobile terminal interface shared to the television set of methods, systems and set-top box", by the same continent electronics in 2010 application. The same continent, the millet box to use the mobile phone interface to the method of television, suspected infringement of this patent.

With the State Electronics marketing department head Xiang to reporters confirmed that the current Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court has been entertained is the first patent charges, "the second patent issue, we will immediately launch a lawsuit." ”

According to their comparison, two other patents are being further verified in addition to these two points, Xiang said. Is the 2007 application of the current media-related patents-"a media resources transmission methods, systems and set-top boxes", as well as the 2006 application of the network upgrade related patents-"a set-top box upgrade method."

For the same Chau electronic wave after wave of tort accusations, millet is considered that this is the same continent in occasion hype.

"Now there are many companies want to borrow millet fame hype." "Millet insiders told reporters that Millet attaches great importance to research and development and innovation, do any research and development and innovation is a good user experience as the starting point, but also in respect of patents on the basis of."

With the Continent electronic chairman Ming is to fight back to millet malicious infringement, demand millet company and Lei public apology, and compensation losses. The state of affairs has gradually evolved into the direction of "drooling".

Box "Three Mountains"

Jump open with the dispute between the Zhou and millet, now want to intervene in the living room has a high threshold.

"Class box products, now appear at least policy, copyright, patent three major issues." "AI Media Consulting CEO Zhang told reporters, this for those who want to really big, want to have their own brand manufacturers, are must consider the problem," the cottage factory instead of scruples about these. ”

Coincidentally, the Millet box, for example, from the beginning of the release, these three problems have gone through.

The first is the policy threshold. According to the industry, the current China's Internet TV and box products, the most restrictive policy, is from the SARFT issued in 2011, "holding the Internet television Licensing agency operating management Requirements", the industry commonly known as "181th text."

The document stipulates that the Internet television integration agencies to choose the cooperative Internet TV Terminal products, only the only connection to the Internet TV integrated platform, the end product must not have other access to the Internet channel, and network operators should not be connected with the management system, database.

This means that, want to do the Internet TV and a variety of box manufacturers, must be with CNTV, hundred-Vision, southern Media, China, the Chinese international radio and television station CIBN, Hunan Radio and television, the CNR CNBN the 7 SARFT recognized platform for cooperation.

At the end of last year, Millet's high-profile release of Millet box after less than 10 days is called a halt, because of the violation of the provisions of the 181th text. After that, millet through the cooperation with CNTV to solve the problem.

The copyright issue is the second mountain that presses on the box. Before the video site has been around the copyright issue of all kinds of litigation and war of words. And with the manufacturers "living room strategy" fiery, copyright fighting and burned to the box body.

Not long ago, Youku Potato Group filed a lawsuit against the Haidian District Court. Youku potatoes that the millet box is suspected of possession of its copyright 10 repertoire infringement on demand, millet box immediately stop the infringement, public apology, and compensation for 5.1 million yuan.

In this regard, millet thought the millet box itself does not provide content, all content is provided by the platform side Cntv. However, whether the hardware manufacturer can avoid the risk of copyright completely, it will need the final ruling of the court.

The third threshold comes from the issue of patents. In the early days of smartphone development, global giants such as Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, HTC and other fierce patent war between, and finally through reconciliation, mutual authorization and so on gradually reached a balance. Of course, some manufacturers have paid a hefty price.

In the last wave of smart-machine patent wars, domestic manufacturers only developed in the eyes of the Giants, the basic has not been affected. and the box market is not the same, from the same state electronics provoked the patent lawsuit, the next patent is likely to become the domestic box manufacturers are used to restrict opponents of the weapons.

"Basically, the current domestic do set-top box-related products, are not open our patents." Xiang told reporters that they have not yet contact with other manufacturers such as music, "We have been very welcome to cooperate and communicate."

Melee connivance with cottage vendors?

After the PC represents the desktop Internet, mobile phone representatives of mobile Internet after the outbreak, more and more manufacturers began to believe that the next wave of opportunities will come from the television Internet.

In addition to doing their own Internet TV, directly to make a TV box to occupy the living room the most convenient weapons. At present, the box manufacturers have millet, music, Alibaba and other Internet enterprises, representing the traditional enterprise camp with the State electronics also launched their own box products.

In addition, on October 17, the communications manufacturer Huawei also formally launched its own "Huawei Secret box." Next, there will be more manufacturers to get together in this market.

Zhang that, under the "three mountains" under pressure, because the competitive environment is not clear, in the short term, the cottage manufacturers will be more than the millet, music, the vision of greater opportunities.

"Because not to do the brand, you can circumvent policies, copyrights, patents and so on." Zhang said, now Shenzhen's Shanzhai factory after the netbook, Android mobile phone, the rise and fall of the tablet, is anxious to find the next direction, "the box and wearable equipment is two focus on the direction." ”

"In millet, music, such as the manufacturers through a variety of means to educate the market, perhaps the cottage factory will be swarmed." "Zhang said.

However, in the long run, the competition in the living room will ultimately depend on the real strength, brand enterprises to say. As for the ultimate winner of the voice of the Internet companies, or hardware manufacturers, or the traditional radio and television camp, for the moment is not yet judged.

Of course, the premise is that manufacturers respect each other, and together to create a healthy and fair competition of the ecological environment.