Assistance needed for lawsuit concerning radio and music storage

Last Updated on June 20, 2011 by askcbiorg

From the NAB Daily Email.

A legal battle has been brewing between radio broadcasters and a company named Mission Abstract Data LLC, (doing business as DigiMedia). DigiMedia claims to have patents on a method and system for operating radio stations using a computer hard drives with a digital database of stored music that is programmed, played and broadcast. Radio broadcasters have been quite vocal to this challenge, saying that they have been playing music at stations off an up and running hard drive since the early-1990s. Specifically, they note that SmartsBroadcasting (“SmartCaster”), Arrakis (“DigiLink”), MediaTouch (“MediaDisk”), RCS (“Master Control”), Enco (“DAD”), Digital Universe, DCS, Audisk and a few others had such systems in place by 1992.

To prove broadcasters were using such a system prior to DigiMedia’s claim, attorneys representing broadcasters are trying to track down User Manuals or other documentation about such systems that pre-date the DigiMedia’s filing date (their patent was filed on January 25, 1994). Materials from early-1993 or 1992 would be the most helpful. Some of these materials have been found, but please check your file cabinets, bookshelves, libraries, etc. to see if you have any of these old user manuals in our possession. If you do have any of these old materials, or have any further questions, please contact William Bradley at (202) 659-9076, or you can send him an e-mail at awbradley@roylance.com.