May 25, 2021

Defunct Australian streaming service Guvera has filed a patent infringement suit against Spotify, claiming the Swedish giants stole its contextual advertising feature. 8,977,633, titled System and method for generating a pool of matched content in late 2010, which they allege they offered to licence to Spotify, before the latter company stole the intellectual property housed in the source code. “Guvera invested over $20 million writing source code that allows Guvera to recognise specific characteristics of the Guvera user,” the suit says. “With an in-depth knowledge of the individual user, Guvera matches advertisements with music and entertainment requested by this user whom Guvera knows.” Guvera has licensed the technology to Indian streaming service Hungama, and “a large, well known American technology company”, claiming in the suit that “Hungama is willing to offer evidence in this proceeding regarding the long-felt need, commercial success, and novelty of this invention.” Guvera further say they “offered to license the technology to Spotify, however Spotify would not consider a license.” The Australian company is after judgment that Spotify has directly infringed the patent, as well as “a reasonable royalty” and “pre-judgment interest and post-judgment interest at the maximum rate allowed by law.” Spotify hasn’t responded to the lawsuit. About Post Author