The Supreme Court has refused to get involved a $74 million judgment against Dish Network for nicking a patent held by TiVo involving digital video recorders.

The Justices declined to consider Dish's appeal against a decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. They agreed with a lower court that digital video recorders distributed by Dish, formerly known as EchoStar, violated the software elements of TiVo's patent.

TiVo said it was "extremely pleased" with the Supreme Court's decision and would press for Dish to pay financial damages. TiVo's patented technology allowed viewers to record one program while watching another. EchoStar Communications changed its name to Dish in late 2007.

Dish was ordered to shut down the 3 million digital video recorders used by its customers because they use TiVo's technology, but that order was put on hold pending the appeal.

Dish had since developed and distributed new DVR software that "does not infringe the Tivo patents.”