An appeals court argument over the patents relating to the MP3 file format between Alcatel-Lucent and Microsoft is still continuing, even though a lower court jury overturned a previous judgement that saw Microsoft paying a $1.5 billion award to Alcatel-Lucent.

According to Reuters, the arguments mainly came from a 1989 agreement between AT&T and Fraunhofer Gesellschaft - the co-developers of the MP3 format. Microsoft has said that it had licensed the technology from Fraunhofer, but Alcatel-Lucent says it could not legally licensed since it was done by Bell Labs, now a research arm at the company.

The case caused an uproar when a jury in San Diego ruled that Microsoft infringed two patents and awarded a $1.5 billion fee to Alcatel-Lucent; but that was overturned when a District Judge disagreed with the jury - saying that Microsoft had licensed one patent and it had not violated the other.

As part of its $1 billion lawsuit against YouTube, Viacom had asked for the source code for all of its search functions on the YouTube site, its new "Video ID" program and databases containing all user information and every video hosted on YouTube, including all private videos and those removed.

Though Viacom won’t be able to get all of the source codes, it will be able to access all the databases containing what videos you watch and all videos hosted and those were removed. However, your private videos will not be given to Viacom.

The user database, which is 12TB, will allow Viacom to determine on all the views that its content uploaded without their permission - among the other information that could be used against other lawsuits. In other words - if you watch anime on YouTube, Viacom will now know what anime you watched.

YouTube currently insists that it is protected by the DMCA’s "safe harbour" provisions, but with this decision - it looks like that the case would continue until 2010.

The battle of the DVRs has begun, with Seven bringing out the TiVo to compete with the Foxtel’s iQ - claiming it would help bypass pay-TV subscriptions - whatever that means.

But the new machine, which has a RRP of $699, will have limited content due to the fact that we don’t have enough content on the free-to-air channels. TiVo’s main success is where that channels from FTA, Cable and Satellite TV users can use TiVo and not the selection of the provider.

As well, users will now have to have a broadband connection to access certain features.

The device will come with two high-definition tuners - allowing users to record two programs while watching a pre-recorded show. The device will also store the last 30 minutes of TV programs, and would allow viewers to catch up to shows that they missed if they arrived home late.

Sadly, you won’t be able to skip advertising - which was one of the reasons that the TiVo became so popular.

Currently on FTA, you can get ABC1, ABC2, ABC3 (which is basically the same as ABC1), SBS, SBS World News, Seven, Seven HD, Ten, Ten HD, Nine and Nine HD. But expect more SD services coming soon after it was deregulated just this year.

APC Magazine has confirmed that Apple will be rolling out movie sales on the Australian version of the iTunes store within the next month. However, it looks like that it would favour Perth-based internet service provider, iiNet.

iiNet is the only local ISP that offers unmetered downloads on iTunes downloads, which was introduced in April last year. iiNet’s Mark White has told APC that it would not change, even though the files are now much larger in capacity.

iiNet will also look for other sources to be unmetered, bringing it in competition with Telstra’s Bigpond Unmetered services - many of them are from the Bigpond site themselves.

Pricing has not been disclosed, and also what studios have signed up. It is expected that it would be a similar model in the US, where you can either buy or rent the movie.

Vodafone has struck a deal with MySpace to launch a brand new platform for your mobile, called Vodafone Music Reporter - allowing fans of its music events a chance to present a MTV show that will be shown online and on mobile.

It will also see interactivity on MySpace profiles and hopes to expand Vodafone’s music activity, which includes summer festivals in the UK and Germany.

Fans from Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK will be able to compete and will be asked to "demonstrate their reporting skills" across the events. To enter the competition, you will need to upload a photo and video review of their favourite recent gig experience - then "friends" of the Vodafone Music Reporter community will decide on who are the best.

The winner will then join an MTV crew for a day of recording and will have a chance to record their report on-site for the show.

I have one word to say - interesting?

ABC’s Summer Heights High brings ABC in line with the BBC. (Terence Huynh/Reawaken Media)

Apple has just released something that has made us very happy here at TECHGEEK - TV Shows on iTunes. This long awaited feature brings Australia in line with the US and the UK with television show downloads.

The current lineup features US shows from ABC Studios and Disney Channel, both owned by Disney - which Steve Jobs has a Board of Directors seat; and Viacom. Australian content includes ABC and the Nine Network.

To me, this now brings ABC almost near to the standards to what its British counterpart, the BBC, has done online. ABC now allows you to watch video, even archived material on some shows, from 2005. It has published its news videos in Flash - a common format, and has now started a ‘IPTV’ service - which is kinda crap, but still good.

But also, this sees something weird. The ABC offers many of its shows for free on its website in podcast form - like Summer Heights High in 2007. As well, ABC Studios mainly have Seven broadcasting their programs, meaning that Apple might delay it until the entire season has been screened or release it early, bringing the wrath of Seven.

There is also another flaw. All ISPs, excluding iiNet which allows unlimited downloads on iTunes content, may need to readjust their plans or you will need to move to a bigger plan or another ISP as the files are around 500MB per file. This means you could be wasting 7GB for just one season of Lost, which contains 14 episodes.

Nine’s offering includes Sea Patrol and the failed series Canal Road, while ABC’s offerings include its popular shows: The Chaser’s War on Everything and Summer Heights High; with other shows like Foreign Correspondent.

The only other channels I want on iTunes are Foxtel, Seven, Ten and the BBC. The BBC for Doctor Who, Ten for Good News Week (though it’s avaliable in Podcast), Seven for All Saints and City Homicide and Foxtel because of its ‘Showcase’ content. What channels/studios do want to be on iTunes?

All episodes are priced $2.99, and are most likely to be encoded in the same DRM which Apple uses on its TV shows sold in the US.

NBC Universal’s and News Corporation’s rival Viacom has now seen the light - sort of. Viacom is lending two popular shows on its Comedy Central television channel to the joint venture, which is gaining popularity, and I think it is a major coup, since it only has shows from NBC Universal and News Corporation among the other video content from The Onion and CNET.

Since launching in October 2007, and gone public in March; it has been getting praise, content providers, and traffic. Ars Technica is also boasting that more than 63 million videos have been stream to date.

It has also expanded to Movies, from Sony Pictures, Universal, Warner Bros. and Fox’s movie catalogue.

Competing US networks like ABC and CBS, however, have yet to jump on the bandwagon - likely due to the control and revenue NBC demands for being on Hulu. According to Silicon Ally Insider, CBS has 191 partners who are distributing its content, including on AOL and MSN - the same sites that has to give up 30 percent of its ad revenue to get Hulu content.

While Viacom is giving Hulu a try, its offering consists of 15 episodes from both The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. However, Viacom is also launching full episodes for both of them at their respective sites at thedailyshow.com and Comedy Central’s site - and I could actually view it from Australia.

TechCrunch is also saying that PBS will be adding shows to Hulu later this month, including its flagship shows - like NOVA and Wired Science (which got the axe! BOO!)

Now, can you focus on your ‘international expansion’ in Canada and Australia - because frankly, you are worst than Apple on not giving us things.

Foxtel has announced the pricing plans about their new HD service, Foxtel HD+.

Those who wish to convert to the new service will need to pay a hefty $200 fee, with an additional monthly fee for the new iQ2 set-top box.

Access to the HD channels are only available to those who subscribe to ‘My Sport’, ‘Escape’, ‘Playtime’ or ‘World’ packages; with HD Sport, containing Fox Sports HD and ESPN HD, and HD Explore, containing BBC HD, Discovery HD and National Geographic HD, will both cost $9.95 a month - with HD movies from the Foxtel Box Office costing $6.95.

However, buying both packages will cost $6.95 a month.

A new Platinum option, dubbed the "Platinum HD" package will cost $130.95 a month, including the iQ2 service. No date has been set for the service to commence.

Reuters is reporting that HBO, owned by Time Warner, is to start selling its shows on Apple’s iTunes store, with flexible pricing on some of its shows.

Episodes of HBO, a premium cable network, are likely to sell above the standard $1.99 per episode, making it the first time Apple has allowed different prices on episodes. NBC Universal pulled out after both parties failed to agree on a selling price.

Shows like "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City" will make their debuts in electronic form; and it is currently testing a broadband service in Wisconsin to allow subscribers to stream episodes after their first airing.

HBO is also said to make some of its shows available after their DVD release, preserving a relationship between the subscribers and operators who pay HBO a fee for every new subscriber. This contradicts other broadcast and cable networks, as they put their shows the next day after being broadcast.

Universal Music Group has confirmed on Tuesday that it has reached a deal with Qtrax, a legitimate file-sharing site, to allow free and legal downloads of Universal Music.

In January, Qtrax announced that it had the backing of all the major labels. This, however, came to a halt after it had been revealed by Warner Music that it had not authorized the use of its content on the service.

Universal Music and EMI both said that they had not signed contracts at the time with Qtrax.

It currently has contracts with finetunes, Sony/ATV (owned by Michael Jackson and Sony BMG) and TVT Records.

Qtrax was first launched in 2002, but shut down to avoid legal troubles. It relaunched late last year with some criticising the service.