In a rare legal setback for TiVo, a New York federal judge ruled this week that three patents TiVo Research asserted against TNS Media Research, including TiVo’s “holy grail” targeted-ad patent, are invalid, Law360 reported.

Per the report, U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin found that they were invalid under the U.S. Supreme Court’s Alice standard, which takes aim at abstract ideas that aren’t eligible for patent protection.

"We are reviewing our options with respect to the patent ruling, but the other important claims in the suit, including trade secret theft and breach of fiduciary duty remain unaffected by this ruling,” TiVo said in a statement.

Per the report, the TiVo patents at issue are No. 7,729,940 (Analyzing return on investment of advertising campaigns by matching multiple data sources); 8,000,993 (Using consumer purchase behavior for television targeting); and 8,112,301 (Using consumer purchase behavior for television targeting).

Despite this apparent legal setback, TiVo, historically, has had success defending its intellectual property. TiVo, which filed a suit against Samsung last fall focused on four patents, has previously settled other disputes with Motorola Mobility/Google, Cisco Systems, Time Warner Cable, Dish Network, AT&T and Verizon.

C.J. Anderson’s TD plunge late in Super Bowl 50 that extended the Denver Broncos’s lead over the Carolina Panthers was the “top moment” during the game, according to TiVo Research’s analysis of second-by-second data culled form 30,000 anonymous households.

On the ad front, the  Doritos – Sonogram spot was tops, according to that same data.

TiVo based its viewing interest findings by measuring the percentage of the TiVo audience watching in "play" speed.

“The most engaging ads are determined by looking for spots with the biggest increase in viewership relative to the viewership in the surrounding 15 minutes of programming, offering a true reflection of audience engagement,” the company noted.

Based on that data, here were the “top moments” from  Super Bowl 50:

1.10:04 p.m. ET, when Broncos running back C.J. Anderson plunged  into the end zone, giving the Broncos a 22-10 lead with three minutes remaining.

2.Super Bowl MVP Von Miller strips the ball from Cam Newton's hand with four minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, with the Panthers down by 6.

3.The replay showing Cam Newton backing away from the scramble for the lost football.

Here’s how the top ten commercials from the game stacked up when viewed through TiVo’s data lens:

1.Doritos – Ultrasound

2.Mountain Dew – PuppyMonkeyBaby

3.Quesalupa – Bigger Than Everything

4.Cascada – That Convertibles’ a Buick

5.Pepsi – The Joy of Dance

6.Marmot – Fall in Love with the Outside

7.Apartments.com – MovingOnUp

8.Bud Light – Raise One to Right Now

9.Skittles – The Portrait

10.Prius – Prius 4

TiVo Research said it will integrate its data into the Oracle Data Cloud, making it easier for advertisers to measure television audiences on their digital devices.

The deal will also help TV networks and programmers measure the impact of digital campaigns on viewership.

“This integration will give advertisers the ability to extend their TV media campaigns to reach viewers on their computers, cell phones, and other digital devices,” said Tara Maitra, TiVo’s senior VP, General Manager Content & Media Sales, in a statement. “It will also help TV networks and programmers connect the dots between TV and digital audiences to help marketers make better decisions.”

Read more at B&C.