DLA Piper Canada recognized in Lexpert’s Top 10 Business Decisions

DLA Piper is pleased to announce that the firm has been recognized in Lexpert’s Top 10 Business Decisions of 2023 and 2024 for its representation of Videotron Ltd. in the Federal Court of Appeal’s decision in Rovi Guides, Inc. v. Videotron Ltd. The DLA intellectual property team representing Videotron in this important patent litigation included Bruce Stratton, Alan Macek and Michal Kasprowicz.

Rovi Guides, Inc. had appealed a Federal Court decision that dismissed its patent infringement claims against Videotron Ltd. and granted Videotron’s counterclaim, declaring Rovi’s patents invalid. The patents involved interactive television program guide (IPG) technology, allowing users to navigate and record television programs via a set-top box. The Federal Court found that the patents were invalid for anticipation and/or obviousness, holding that the patented technology was not inventive to someone skilled in the art at the relevant time. The Federal Court of Appeal upheld the lower court’s ruling, agreeing that there was no reason to overturn the findings below that the patents were obvious considering prior art and the common general knowledge of a skilled person.

Lexpert’s Top 10 Business Decisions looks at the impactful judicial rulings affecting the Canadian business community. Top decisions are determined through a nomination process and consultation with Canada’s leading litigators.

DLA Piper’s award-winning Canadian Intellectual Property Group advises on some of Canada’s most impactful and precedent setting cases. As part of a global law firm, the team belongs to one of the largest groups of IP lawyers in the world, offering international reach on a full range of intellectual property law, privacy, and technology law services for leading businesses worldwide.