TiVo's victory in a prolonged court battle may force EchoStar to pull the plug on eight million Dish Network DVRs.

A federal appeals court ordered EchoStar to pay TiVo $200 million for violating patents, on top of a previous $103 million penalty. Because the decision recognizes TiVo's patent for TV time shifting, TiVo also has the right to demand the shutdown of the millions of DVRs used by Dish subscribers.

What happens next remains to be seen. EchoStar of course plans to appeal. But it may also decide to negotiate with TiVo. The stakes are high. TiVo, already in business with DirecTV, could give Dish's main competitor the sole right to use DVR technology, with disastrous effects on Dish's customer base.

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