Gemstar-TV Guide International
Encyclopedia
Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. was a media company that licensed interactive program guide technology to multichannel operators, such as cable and satellite television providers, and consumer electronics manufacturers, video recorder scheduling code
under brands such as VCR Plus, published TV Guide
magazine, distributed TV Guide Network and TVG Network
, operated tvguide.com, and provided various related services. As of May 2, 2008, Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Macrovision Solutions Corporation which later changed its name to Rovi Corporation on July 16, 2009.
(Generally Accepted Accounting Practices) allowed them to do as Scientific Atlanta was continuing to add the Interactive Program Guide (IPG)
software to its cable boxes and the companies were simultaneously in on-going litigation and negotiations to resolve their disputes. As Scientific Atlanta had always paid in the past, Gemstar, Yuen and Leung had reasonable evidence that the uncollected revenue would eventually be collected. When the amount accrued to a much larger sum of over $100 million, the company disclosed the information in a quarterly conference call with media and investors. During this time period, Rupert Murdoch
's NewsCorp obtained the Gemstar shares owned by John Malone's Liberty Media Group, giving him control of the company. Yuen was replaced as CEO in October 2002 with Jeff Shell, a Murdoch right hand man who had been running the Fox
Cable Networks Group. Its market capitalization fell, along with hundreds of other high tech stocks, from a high of $20 billion in 2000 to a low of little more than $1 billion in 2005; its stock later recovered somewhat.
In early 2007 Aptiv Digital was acquired by Gemstar. Aptiv was the developer of the Passport interactive program guide software used on Scientific Atlanta and Motorola set top boxes.
On July 9, 2007, Gemstar Chairman Anthea Disney announced that the Board of Directors has "authorized the Company and its advisors to explore strategic alternatives intended to maximize shareholder value, which may include a sale of the Company." This move was seen by many analysts as an attempt on the part of News Corp's Rupert Murdoch
, a 41% shareholder in Gemstar, to raise cash for its attempt to buy The Wall Street Journal
parent company Dow Jones.
On December 7, 2007, Gemstar signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Macrovision (now Rovi Corporation) in a cash and stock deal, which based on the closing price for the Macrovision stock on December 6, 2007, was valued at approximately $2.8 billion. The deal closed on May 2, 2008.
On 27 November 2009, Virgin Media
succeeded in a patent dispute brought against it by Gemstar TV Guide. The London High Court found that Virgin Media had infringed on patents EP 0969662, EP 1377049 and EP 1613066 but also found them to be invalid and moved to revoke them. The ruling called into question the ability for Rovi to enforce its patents both in the UK and with operators around the world. Rovi Corporation appealed against the decision for two of the three patents and continued to pursue Virgin Media for infringement of intellectual property. However on 29 March 2011, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales
upheld the original decision.
Rovi Corporation continues to execute and license its patents including patents from Gemstar TV Guide to companies in the UK and around the world as shown in a 2010 deal with Sky.
Video recorder scheduling code
VCR Plus+, G-Code, VideoPlus+ and ShowView are different names for essentially the same system for programming video recorders...
under brands such as VCR Plus, published TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
magazine, distributed TV Guide Network and TVG Network
TVG Network
TVG Network is an American specialty channel dedicated to horse racing. The company broadcasts from Los Angeles, California and is available in the United States on Dish Network and DirecTV as well as select cable companies...
, operated tvguide.com, and provided various related services. As of May 2, 2008, Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Macrovision Solutions Corporation which later changed its name to Rovi Corporation on July 16, 2009.
History
It was formed when Gemstar, (founded by Henry Yuen, Daniel Kwoh and Wilson Cho), merged with TV Guide, Inc. (formerly United Video Satellite Group), in July, 2000. In 2002, Gemstar disclosed that $108 million in booked revenue had not been collected. The genesis of the uncollected revenue stemmed from expired licensing agreements, mainly with Scientific Atlanta, a cable box manufacturer. Gemstar, Yuen and Elsie Leung, the Gemstar CFO, had been booking the revenue for over a year, as they believed GAAPGaap
In demonology, Gaap is a mighty Prince and Great President of Hell, commanding sixty-six legions of demons. He is, according to The Lesser Key of Solomon, the king and prince of the southern region of Hell and Earth, and according to the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum the king of the western region and...
(Generally Accepted Accounting Practices) allowed them to do as Scientific Atlanta was continuing to add the Interactive Program Guide (IPG)
Electronic program guide
Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming...
software to its cable boxes and the companies were simultaneously in on-going litigation and negotiations to resolve their disputes. As Scientific Atlanta had always paid in the past, Gemstar, Yuen and Leung had reasonable evidence that the uncollected revenue would eventually be collected. When the amount accrued to a much larger sum of over $100 million, the company disclosed the information in a quarterly conference call with media and investors. During this time period, Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
's NewsCorp obtained the Gemstar shares owned by John Malone's Liberty Media Group, giving him control of the company. Yuen was replaced as CEO in October 2002 with Jeff Shell, a Murdoch right hand man who had been running the Fox
Fox Entertainment Group
The Fox Entertainment Group is an American entertainment industry company that owns film studios and terrestrial, cable, and direct broadcast satellite television properties...
Cable Networks Group. Its market capitalization fell, along with hundreds of other high tech stocks, from a high of $20 billion in 2000 to a low of little more than $1 billion in 2005; its stock later recovered somewhat.
In early 2007 Aptiv Digital was acquired by Gemstar. Aptiv was the developer of the Passport interactive program guide software used on Scientific Atlanta and Motorola set top boxes.
On July 9, 2007, Gemstar Chairman Anthea Disney announced that the Board of Directors has "authorized the Company and its advisors to explore strategic alternatives intended to maximize shareholder value, which may include a sale of the Company." This move was seen by many analysts as an attempt on the part of News Corp's Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
, a 41% shareholder in Gemstar, to raise cash for its attempt to buy The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
parent company Dow Jones.
On December 7, 2007, Gemstar signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Macrovision (now Rovi Corporation) in a cash and stock deal, which based on the closing price for the Macrovision stock on December 6, 2007, was valued at approximately $2.8 billion. The deal closed on May 2, 2008.
On 27 November 2009, Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
succeeded in a patent dispute brought against it by Gemstar TV Guide. The London High Court found that Virgin Media had infringed on patents EP 0969662, EP 1377049 and EP 1613066 but also found them to be invalid and moved to revoke them. The ruling called into question the ability for Rovi to enforce its patents both in the UK and with operators around the world. Rovi Corporation appealed against the decision for two of the three patents and continued to pursue Virgin Media for infringement of intellectual property. However on 29 March 2011, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
upheld the original decision.
Rovi Corporation continues to execute and license its patents including patents from Gemstar TV Guide to companies in the UK and around the world as shown in a 2010 deal with Sky.