Verizon files patent action against Cablevision

A man looks at his phone as he walks past a Verizon wireless store in New York, July 30, 2009 file photo.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Verizon Communications filed a complaint against Cablevision Systems on Tuesday, alleging that it infringed its patented technology for television set-top boxes, the U.S. International Trade Commission said.

The brief ITC notice on the complaint did not describe what precisely was being infringed other than to say that the matter involved certain set-top boxes.

The two companies are fierce rivals in the New York area, competing for video, Internet and phone customers.

A source familiar with the ITC complaint said a companion suit had also been filed in Delaware, requesting monetary damages. Both the Delaware suit and the ITC complaint, which is confidential, ask for Cablevision to stop selling the set-top boxes.

Verizon had previously offered to license the patents to Cablevision, the source said.

The ITC has become a popular venue for patent litigation because it has the power to bar the import of items made with infringing technology.

"It is becoming increasingly clear that Verizon is having difficulty competing on the merits in the marketplace, so they are resorting to filing lawsuits and pursuing regulatory bailouts," Cablevision said in an emailed statement.

"We obviously plan a vigorous defense."

(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Tim Dobbyn, Gary Hill)