Blu-ray Disc Association secures permanent injunction against Pivos Technology Group

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) announced today that it has secured a permanent injunction against Pivos Technology Group, permanently preventing Pivos from infringing the BDA's trademark rights.

"Since its introduction in 2006, consumer adoption of Blu-ray Disc products has continued to grow and there are now nearly 60 million Blu-ray Disc households in the United States and approximately 180 million Blu-ray Disc playback devices in homes worldwide," said BDA President, Roel Kramer. "The format's strong growth has been a function not only of the superior picture and sound Blu-ray delivers, but also of the quality experience consumers associate with the Blu-ray Disc logo."

The lawsuit, filed earlier this year, centred on Pivos' manufacturing and marketing of its AIOS HD Media Center, which made unauthorised use of BDA trademarks and enabled unauthorised playback of Blu-ray .iso images files. The injunction resolves the lawsuit and enjoins Pivos from further infringement of the BDA's trademarks. Pivos has also agreed to co-operate with the BDA to identify other potential infringers.

"We hope this lawsuit and resulting injunction will send a strong message to the marketplace that the BDA takes its trademark rights seriously and will not hesitate to take action to protect its formats and their legitimate licensees against infringers," said Kristin McQueen, Chair of the BDA Legal and Licensing Committee. "Blu-ray Disc was designed to deliver the best possible home entertainment experience, and keeping unauthorised products out of the market is critical to ensuring the consistent, best-in-class quality consumers have come to expect from Blu-ray Disc."

The BDA is responsible for developing Blu-ray Disc specifications, promoting Blu-ray Disc products, and ensuring that such products are not only implemented in compliance with trademark and licensing terms, but also meet the high standards established for Blu-ray Disc products. The Association is also responsible for defending its licensed trademarks and formats against infringers.