Cable, Satellite Companies Sued for Violating Internet Patent

A company that claims to own patent rights in virtually all Internet streaming media services has sued the largest cable and satellite TV companies in the United States. Acacia Research, a Los Angeles-based patent-holding company, contends that the big television companies, ranging from Comcast to the DirecTV Group, are infringing on patents Acacia holds for governing the transmission of audio and video content over the Internet, cable lines and satellite feeds.