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Context: In May 2021, U.S. patent licensing firm Adeia Media Solutions (previously known as Rovi Guides) filed a patent infringement complaint against Canadian telecoms company Vidéotron in the Federal Court of Canada. Adeia specifically alleged that Vidéotron’s Helix TV services, Illico TV services, and Club illico OTT services infringed four of its media streaming-related patents. A hearing was then held in February 2025.
What’s new: The Federal Court of Canada has found that Vidéotron’s Helix, illico+ and illico video platforms infringed two of the four patents that Adeia asserted, issuing a permanent injunction against the defendant (October 29, 2025 Adeia press release). Honorable Madam Justice Jocelyne Gagné of the Federal Court of Canada also ruled, however, that the remaining two patents-in-suit are invalid.
Direct impact: The parties have until late November to file an appeal, but it is certainly a major win for Adeia, which has previously been embroiled in patent infringement litigation against Vidéotron and lost that battle. The two companies previously litigated over six of Adeia’s video technology-related patents between 2017 and 2023. In June 2022, the Federal Court of Canada issued a decision in Vidéotron’s favor, finding all of the asserted patents invalid. And, following two years of appellate proceedings, the Federal Court of Appeal of Canada issued a final judgment dismissing Adeia’s appeal against the invalidation decision.
Wider ramifications: This case is just one of several in which Adeia is enforcing its media patent portfolio. Last November, the company launched a global campaign against Disney and its Hulu and ESPN subsidiaries in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and the Unified Patent Court (UPC), as well as a court in Germany (November 5, 2024 ip fray article). The company has had some success without litigation, however, including when it signed a multi-year agreement with Amazon covering its media IP portfolio last December (December 3, 2024 press release by Adeia).
The patents-in-suit include:
- Canadian Patent No. 2,967,187 (“Systems and methods for episode tracking in an interactive media environment”)
- Canadian Patent No. 2,635,571 (“An interactive media guidance system having multiple devices”)
- Canadian Patent No. 2,553,922 (“Interactive television system with automatic switching from broadcast media to streaming media”)
- Canadian Patent No. 2,775,674 (“Interactive media system and method for selectively preventing access to trick play functions”)
While the first two patents are due to expire in December 2026, the latter two expired earlier this year.
In a statement yesterday, Adeia’s Chief Legal Officer, Kevin Tanji, said the company is very pleased with the Federal Court’s decision. The outcome underscores the strength of Adeia’s IP and the “critical role” the company plays in advancing media and entertainment technologies, he said, adding:
“We will continue to vigorously defend our patent portfolio and ensure that the value of our pioneering work continues to be recognized and respected.”
Counsel
Adeia is being represented by Goodmans LLP.
Vidéotron is being represented by DLA Piper.