LAS VEGAS: Sports technology company Panda Interactive has filed two separate lawsuits accusing competitor companies Genius Sports and Sportradar of patent infringement.
The lawsuits have been filed in US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
Both companies provide much of the technological infrastructure to sports-betting and related interactive video industries.
Panda Interactive has developed proprietary cloud-based software that enables media, leagues, and sportsbooks to offer interactive viewing experiences — including the ability for viewers to see real-time odds and to place a bet while watching a sporting event.
“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,” said Panda Interactive’s chairman Donald Schupak. “No one wants to see their own arsenal used against them in battle.”
Panda has launched multiple video streaming products incorporating its patented technologies, including the SportsCastr mobile app, which evolved into Panda Interactive’s B2B Watch & Bet platform that has been used by leading sports media companies, leagues and sportsbooks.
“The confluence of media and sports betting is essential to the future of the fan-viewing experience,” added Panda Interactive’s CEO Kevin April. “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.”
It bears noting that year, the defendants were themselves engaged in a legal dispute, igamingbusiness.com reports.
This concerned whether Genius and Football DataCo’s (FDC) deal granting the supplier exclusive rights to collect, license and distribute live data from the Premier League, the Football League and Scottish Professional Football League was anti-competitive.
After years of litigation the two parties agreed a settlement in October 2022. Under the terms of the deal, Sportradar was granted a sub-licence that allowed access to a delayed secondary feed until 2024.
In return, the business agreed to cease its unauthorised in-stadium data collection activities.
