Observed Signal · May 11, 2026 · Patent Lawsuit · Source: DWDL · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Huawei Sues RTL Over Streaming Patent
Chinese technology company Huawei filed a patent lawsuit against the RTL Group at the Unified Patent Court in Mannheim, alleging infringement related to MPEG‑DASH / HEVC adaptive video‑streaming technology. The suit, filed on April 15, 2026, concerns methods to deliver video streams more efficiently to reduce buffering and load times. The dispute is part of a wider wave of litigation over video codecs and streaming licences: RTL filed a separate invalidity action against a different Huawei patent at the UPC in Paris in November 2025, and Huawei is involved in similar cases with Disney and Meta. Other patent holders such as Nokia and InterDigital are also pursuing cases affecting hardware vendors and streamers.
Patent litigation over core streaming codecs can affect streaming platforms, licensing obligations and technology implementations that underpin video delivery and ad monetization; this has moderate industry impact.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Huawei filed a patent lawsuit against the RTL Group at the Unified Patent Court in Mannheim on 2026-04-15.
- The disputed patent concerns MPEG‑DASH / HEVC technologies for adaptive video delivery to reduce buffering and load times.
- In November 2025 RTL filed an invalidity action against a different Huawei patent at the UPC in Paris.
- Huawei is pursuing similar streaming‑related disputes with companies including Disney and Meta; Nokia and InterDigital are also litigating in this space.
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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.
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.
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