TiVo 2005 Annual Report Download - page 14

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Table of Contents
TiVo has also acquired the exclusive right to license and enforce U.S. patent number 5,241,428 entitled Variable-Delay Video Recorder known in the
industry as the Goldwasser Patent. Filed in March 1991, the Goldwasser Patent is one of the earliest patents regarding digital video recorders of which we are
aware. This patent covers devices that permit the simultaneous recording and playback of video material with a variable time delay between recording and
playback of a given video program segment. The expiration date of the Goldwasser Patent is March 12, 2011.
We have also purchased 12 foreign and domestic patents and 6 foreign patent applications from International Business Machines Corporation. These
patents and patent applications generally relate to audience research and measurement, integration of television signals with internet access, automatic
rescheduling of recordings, content screening, enhanced program information search, and electronic program guide interface enhancements.
Among others, we have secured U.S. registrations for the marks "TiVo," the TiVo logo, the TiVo Smile design "WishList," "TiVo Central," "Can't
Miss TV," "Ipreview," "TiVoMatic," "TiVo, TV Your Way," "What you want, when you want it," "TiVolution," "Active Preview," Home Media Option,
"Life's too short for bad TV," "Overtime Scheduler," "Personal TV," "Primetime Anytime," TiVo Series2 (logo and text), the Jump logo, the Thumbs Up
logo, and the Thumbs Down logo. We have filed many other trademark applications covering substantially all of our trade dress, sound effects, logos, and
slogans, including: "DIRECTIVO," "Season Pass," and "See it, want it, get it." These applications are currently pending with the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office. Additionally, we have international trademark applications pending for several of these trademarks. We have licensed the use of our name and logo to
some of our customers and consumer electronics manufacturers.
We anticipate ongoing progress in our establishment of a defensible and useful intellectual property portfolio; however, we cannot assure you that
current patents will be enforceable or our current patent applications will ever be allowed or granted. See Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors – Our success
depends on our ability to secure and protect our patents, trademarks, and other proprietary rights" and "Pending Intellectual Property Litigation" for additional
information concerning our intellectual property.
Privacy Policy
We have adopted a privacy policy, which we make available on our website and deliver to each new subscriber to the TiVo service. This policy was last
updated in July 2005 to cover new commerce features that we have introduced and plan to introduce in the future. This policy explains that we collect certain
types of information such as anonymous viewing and diagnostic information, but all viewing-information that is linked or associated with an individual
identity will not be disclosed without the viewer's affirmative consent. We further give subscribers the ability to "opt-out" from the collection of anonymous
viewing information and diagnostic information log files.
We have designed a system that ensures that any viewing information transmitted from a TiVo enabled DVR is anonymous on the DVR and remains
unidentifiable to a particular viewer (known as anonymous viewing information), unless that subscriber affirmatively consents to such identification before
any viewing data leaves the DVR. Anonymous viewing information is collected separately from any information that identifies a viewer personally. As a
result, we may be able to use this anonymous information to tell a broadcast or advertising client the percentage of our viewers that recorded a particular
program or advertisement, but we will not know, nor be able to tell the client, which of our viewers did so, unless a viewer decides to provide that
information.
Employees
At April 3, 2006, we employed approximately 400 employees, including 38 in service operations, 222 in research and development, 42 in sales and
marketing, and 98 in general and administration. We also employ, from time to time, a number of temporary and part-time employees as well as consultants
on a contract basis. At April 3, 2006, we employed 86 such persons. Our future success will depend in part on our ability to attract, train, retain, and motivate
highly qualified employees. We may not be successful in attracting and retaining such personnel. Our employees are not represented by a collective
bargaining organization and we have never experienced a work stoppage or strike. Our management considers employee relations to be good.
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