I just posted about this on Inside Redbox, but wanted to post it here as well…

This must be lawsuit week…

In a bold move, DVDPlay filed a lawsuit today against Redbox and Coinstar (separately) for patent infringement.

I dug into this a bit, and found that DVDPlay filed for this patent on May 25, 2000, and it was just issued today (Oct 28, 2008). So, it has been over 8 years since the patent application was filed.

In addition, I know that Redbox got its start by using (via lease?) DVDPlay-made machines before they started having their own manufactured in 2004.

So, the question is, does DVDPlay have a chance at winning a case like this when they previously worked with Redbox voluntarily?

It seems to me that DVDPlay is grasping at anything it can to get additional money for their currently failing operation. With Redbox and Coinstar leading the pack, perhaps DVDPlay sees them as a target with deep pockets.

Also, how will this patent and these cases affect Blockbuster’s plans?

I would love to hear any thoughts you may have on this, so please comment below. If you are a lawyer (or play one on TV), please let us know what you think about DVDPlay’s chances here, as well as their possible motivations.

You can view the patent here, as well as more info on the court filing here. I will post more info as soon as it becomes available.

What are your thoughts?