Andre Yoskowitz
24 May 2010 23:33
In an ironic twist, Warner Bros. has been sued this week for stealing an anti-piracy technology patent.
Medien Patent Verwaltung(MPV) of Germany is the company doing the accusing, saying Warner and Technicolor began unlawfully using the technology after it was shown to them in 2003.
The studio was shown the technology, which is "a method of marking films with a distinctive code so it could track back sources of piracy to the exact theater in which an unauthorized copy originated," in 2003, says TheHollywoodReporter.
Warner has been using it without paying an licensing fees since 2004, adds the complaint.
Says MPV: "We disclosed our anti-piracy technology to Warner Bros. in 2003 at their request, under strict confidentiality, expecting to be treated fairly. Instead, they started using our technology extensively without our permission and without any accounting to us. However, we had taken care to obtain patents to protect MPV's technology, and we are now in a position where we must assert our rights."
Warner has not yet commented.