Observed Signal · Jul 28, 2026 · Legal Injunction / Court Ruling · Source: t3n · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Disney Plus removes 4K and HDR in Germany after injunction
Disney Plus has removed 4K UHD and HDR streaming options for users in Germany, including Premium subscribers, forcing playback at 1080p SDR. The change follows a patent dispute with US firm InterDigital, which secured a recent injunction from the Düsseldorf branch of the Unified Patent Court (UPC); earlier interim measures in Munich had already led to restrictions on Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and 3D content. InterDigital says streaming services should pay for use of advanced video coding technologies. The Verbraucherzentrale Niedersachsen has issued a warning and is reviewing legal steps over allegedly non-transparent advertising about quality claims.
Region-specific injunction affects streaming quality and user experience on a major OTT platform; has limited but tangible implications for CTV user experience and potential legal precedent around video codec licensing.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Disney Plus has removed 4K UHD and HDR streaming options in Germany; users can currently only view content at 1080p and SDR.
- InterDigital obtained an injunction at the Düsseldorf branch of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) that requires Disney to remove 4K and HDR in affected territories.
- Months earlier, Disney Plus had already stopped offering Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and 3D films in Germany after an interim injunction related to a patent dispute.
- InterDigital's chief counsel Josh Schmidt said Disney should appropriately compensate InterDigital for using advanced video coding technologies.
- Verbraucherzentrale Niedersachsen has issued a warning to Disney and is now examining legal steps over missing promised streaming resolutions.
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Disney+ Grants German Premium Users Cancellation Right
Disney+ is offering German Premium subscribers a special right to cancel their subscriptions after the streaming service restricted 4K and HDR features following a patent dispute with InterDigital. Affected customers are being notified by email and have 30 days from receipt to exercise the cancellation right; prepaid unused portions will be refunded pro rata. The measure applies only to Premium plans, which the article notes cost €160 per year. Disney has partially restored 4K on some devices (Android TV, certain Google, Philips and Sony models, Amazon Fire TV, LG TVs from 2020 onward, and Sky Glass/Sky Stream), but HDR remains unavailable. Tests suggest Disney is streaming 4K using VP9 instead of the disputed HEVC codec to work around the patent issue.
InterDigital Sues Disney for $101.7M in HDR Patent Dispute
InterDigital has escalated its patent dispute with Disney over HDR technology, filing a lawsuit at the Munich Regional Court seeking €101.7 million in damages. The claim covers Disney Plus's unlicensed use of HDR technology from March 2020 to the initial court ruling in late 2025, affecting users in Germany and 19 other European countries. The dispute began in November 2025 when InterDigital obtained an injunction, leading Disney to remove Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and 3D content, and later, under a UPC ruling in July 2026, to drop 4K UHD and HDR support. In September 2026, another ruling forced the removal of Google Cast functionality in Germany and the Netherlands. Disney has not yet responded, but InterDigital aims for a long-term licensing agreement. Disney had offered premium subscribers a special termination right in August 2026 following the quality downgrades.
Disney Plus Loses Patent Dispute, Cast Feature at Risk
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) in Düsseldorf has ruled that Disney Plus infringes InterDigital's patent EP 2 080 349, which covers media content synchronization (the 'Cast' function). The injunction affects streaming via the Chrome browser and Disney Plus apps on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, and is valid in Germany and the Netherlands. Disney can appeal. Previous UPC rulings concerned HEVC video coding patents in 11 EU states, leading Disney to switch to the VP9 codec, which InterDigital now also claims infringes its patents. InterDigital has filed two additional cases over Disney's use of VP9. Disney has not paid any license fees to InterDigital. The ongoing dispute has already removed HDR support and temporarily 4K streaming for Disney Plus premium subscribers in Germany.
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