TiVo Time Warped: DVR Legend Lost to Legal Limbo
In the 2000s, TiVo was the rockstar of pause-and-rewind live TV, boasting the now-infamous US Patent 6,233,389 aka the Time Warp patent—because who doesn’t want to legally slow down time itself? Born to popularize DVRs, not invent them, TiVo made it mandatory to say 'TiVo' instead of 'record,' a linguistic coup rivaling 'Google it.' Yet, instead of partying on their DVR throne, TiVo spent a good chunk of two decades locked in courtroom drama defending its tech from copycats. Picture fighting over a remote on national TV, except the prize is a patent and your dignity. Spoiler: TiVo didn’t end up channel-surfing to victory.
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TiVo legally owned the power to pause reality but spent so long suing, we all just streamed and forgot DVRs existed. Welcome to tech’s longest staring contest with itself.
TiVo was the premium DVR, the 'Google' of recording, yet spent the 2000s proving who owns rewind instead of, you know, making money.
When your biggest flex is a patent called Time Warp but instead of time travel, you only achieve legal time stalls.
Source: Theverge | Published: 10/18/2025 | Author: Terrence O’Brien
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