Movie studios including Viacom Inc.'s Paramount and the Walt Disney Co. , as well as TV networks including General Electric Co.'s NBC, have sued the company, alleging features of the ReplayTV allow people to violate their copyrights.

Santa Clara, California-based SONICblue said federal Judge Florence-Marie Cooper halted the April 26 order in which a federal court ordered SONICblue to install tracking software on ReplayTV and report viewing results to movie and TV companies.

Among features the studios and networks object to are the ability to skip commercials and a broadband connection that allows users to exchange recorded programs with others.

The company said the order has been stayed until June 3, at which time the judge is expected to address SONICblue's motion to throw out the magistrate's order. It first requested that the order be overturned on Monday.

Under the original order, SONICblue would have had 60 days from May 2 to design and install the software on both new and existing boxes.

The company, which said it would take $400,000 and four months to effectively design the program, had asked the court to either throw out the order or modify it to allow the data to be collected in aggregate, rather than by individual user.

Consumer advocacy groups have strongly opposed the court's order, saying it was tantamount to an invasion of privacy.