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A battle over official sports data is brewing. This past week, PANDA Interactive, a sports information technology firm, filed two patent lawsuits with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
The lawsuits claim that Sportradar and Genius Sports stole a tool that allows the companies to display up-to-date betting information over a live stream of a sporting event, according to court documents obtained by PlayUSA.
PANDA Interactive Chairman Donald Schupak said in a Business Wire press release about the lawsuit:
“We have made substantial investments in the development of our technology and cannot tolerate having our patented technology used unfairly by others and against us. No one wants to see their own arsenal used against them in battle.”
The lawsuit is relatively significant, as Genius Sports is the official data provider for the NFL and Sportradar works with the NBA, MLB, NHL, and NASCAR.
Lawsuits say Sportradar, Genius Sports stole two parts of PANDA’s patent
At the heart of PANDA Interactive’s technology is the ability to overlay sports betting information and odds on live broadcasts. This feature allows sportsbooks to provide customer-friendly live/in-game gambling.
“Despite substantial investments in resources and time, conventional video streaming systems still suffer from several drawbacks that often lead to frustrating user experiences for broadcasters, viewers, or both,” PANDA Interactive noted in court documents.
“One such drawback is the synchronization between contextual-matched event information and the video signals. In many cases, such as when live streaming sports, or sports-betting related content, any noticeable offset (e.g., greater than 1 second) often confuses viewers, and greatly hampers the viewing experience.”
The convenience and accuracy that PANDA Interactive’s technology provides offers sportsbooks an edge over its competitors. As a result, the tech is a valuable piece of intellectual property.
PANDA Interactive’s technology includes multiple patents, from which the company said Sportradar and Genius Sports stole certain elements. The two lawsuits state:
“Through Defendant’s illegal and unauthorized use of Plaintiff’s patented technology, Defendant has earned significantly increased profits, revenue, market capital, and market share.”
To back up its claims, PANDA Interactive included screenshots of the code it created for its live betting technology and the code Sportradar and Genius Sports in its court filings.
Lawsuits call for damages and license revocation
PANDA Interactive asked the court to require Sportradar and Genius Sports to do the following (“relief”) in light of the alleged patent theft:
- Pay damages to PANDA Interactive
- Pay for PANDA Interactive’s legal fees
- Provide a list of every entity that bought products that included the alleged stolen technology
- Destroy the products the two companies sold that included the alleged stolen technology
- Revoke all licenses for products that include the alleged stolen technology
- Destroy all marketing materials related to products that include the alleged stolen technology
- Disable apps that use the alleged stolen technology
Additionally, PANDA Interactive has requested a jury trial.
“The confluence of media and sports betting is essential to the future of the fan-viewing experience,” PANDA Interactive CEO Kevin April said. “PANDA developed its pioneering technology long before online sports betting was even legal in the US.
Sportradar and Genius Sports are infringing on our patents and capitalizing on our groundbreaking work.”
