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Computer Science Electronics

InterDigital Takes Global Legal Action Against Disney Over SEP Infringement

InterDigital, a leading U.S. technology company, has launched a worldwide litigation campaign against The Walt Disney Company, alleging infringement of its standard essential patents (SEPs) related to video encoding technology.

The lawsuit targets Disney and its streaming subsidiaries—Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+—across multiple jurisdictions, including the U.S. (Central District of California), Brazil, Germany, and the Unified Patent Court’s local divisions in Mannheim and Düsseldorf. According to InterDigital, Disney continues to use its patented video technologies without authorization, fueling its highly profitable streaming empire.

InterDigital’s Position: Seeking Fair Compensation for Innovation

Josh Schmidt, InterDigital’s Chief Legal Officer, emphasized the company’s commitment to licensing its innovations fairly:

“Our video technologies enable Disney to efficiently stream content and enhance the user experience. While we always prefer amicable licensing agreements, we are dedicated to receiving fair compensation for our groundbreaking research, which allows us to continue investing in the next generation of technology.”

The lawsuit follows unsuccessful licensing discussions that began in July 2022. InterDigital asserts that despite efforts to reach an agreement, Disney has yet to secure authorization to use its patented technologies.

Key Legal Details and Demands

In its U.S. complaint filed on February 2, InterDigital, represented by McKool Smith, alleges infringement of five video encoding patents:

  • US Patent No. 8,406,301
  • US Patent No. 10,805,610
  • US Patent No. 11,381,818
  • US Patent No. 9,185,268
  • US Patent No. 8,085,297

InterDigital is seeking a permanent injunction, damages, and a jury trial. The company is also represented by Arnold Ruess in Germany and the Unified Patent Court and by Licks Attorneys in Brazil.

The Significance of Video Encoding Patents

Video encoding technology is essential for compressing and decoding digital video, ensuring efficient transmission while maintaining high quality. As the streaming industry continues to expand—projected to generate over $400 billion in revenue by 2025—patent disputes over such technologies have become increasingly common.

InterDigital asserts that its innovations are fundamental to the streaming ecosystem, helping Disney build a global subscriber base exceeding 250 million across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. The company notes that Disney’s streaming segment alone generated approximately $25 billion in annual revenue in its latest financial report.

“With the help of our innovation, Disney has built a highly profitable streaming business across multiple platforms,” InterDigital stated, reinforcing its stance that enforcement actions are sometimes necessary to ensure fair compensation.

Broader Implications in the Streaming Patent Wars

InterDigital’s lawsuit is part of a broader trend of legal battles over video streaming technology. Other major industry players, including Amazon, have faced SEP-related lawsuits—most notably from Nokia.

Meanwhile, patent pools designed to streamline video technology licensing have emerged. In 2023, Avanci launched Avanci Video, offering a centralized licensing platform, while Access Advance introduced its own video distribution patent pool earlier this year.

What’s Next?

As InterDigital’s lawsuits progress, the outcome could have significant implications for Disney and the broader streaming industry. Whether through litigation or eventual settlement, the case underscores the ongoing tensions between technology innovators and content distributors in the digital streaming era.

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Mechanical Others

Intellect Partners Consulting LLP Leadership Honored in IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders 2025

Intellect Partners Consulting LLP proudly announces that our CEO, Rahul Thukral, has been named among the distinguished IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders 2025. This prestigious accolade acknowledges his extraordinary contributions to intellectual property (IP) strategy and innovation consulting, highlighting his expertise and influence within the global IP community.

Rahul Thukral: Transforming IP Consulting with Vision and Leadership

Rahul Thukral, CEO of Intellect Partners Consulting LLP, has consistently exemplified leadership, innovation, and excellence in intellectual property consulting. Through his visionary approach, he has redefined how businesses develop, manage, and monetize their IP assets. His strategic insights have enabled organizations across various industries to unlock significant value from their intellectual property, driving growth and creating sustainable competitive advantages.

Under Rahul’s leadership, Intellect Partners has become a trusted advisor to enterprises worldwide. The firm specializes in delivering expert solutions across IP strategy, litigation support, portfolio management, and monetization. Rahul’s ability to address complex IP challenges with tailored, forward-thinking strategies has not only fueled the company’s growth but also positioned it as an industry leader. His client-centric approach and dedication to driving impactful results continue to shape the firm’s reputation as a preferred partner for businesses navigating the intricate IP landscape.

Celebrating Excellence in Global IP Leadership

Rahul Thukral’s inclusion in the IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders 2025 represents a significant milestone, underscoring his profound impact on the global IP ecosystem. This recognition reflects his steadfast commitment to empowering businesses with innovative IP strategies, fostering value creation, and supporting long-term success through thoughtful and strategic decision-making.

At Intellect Partners Consulting LLP, we take immense pride in this achievement. Rahul’s recognition inspires us to continue delivering cutting-edge IP solutions that empower our clients to thrive in an increasingly competitive and innovation-driven world. We remain dedicated to helping organizations maximize the potential of their intellectual property, ensuring they achieve meaningful and lasting business outcomes.

Categories
Mechanical

Intellectual Property and ChatGPT: Navigating the Ethical Landscape

Chatgpt, intellectual property

As cutting-edge artificial intelligence chatbots become progressively modern, they are bringing up significant questions about IPR law and its application to these new advances. Specifically, there are worries about the ownership of content produced by artificial intelligence chatbots, and how to protect and manage the content made by AI.

One main point of interest is the degree to which artificial intelligence chatbots can be thought of as “creators” of original content for reasons of copyright regulation. As these frameworks become further developed, they can produce even better pictures, texts, and different types of content that are indistinguishable from content made by humans. This brings up issues about who should be thought of as the “creator” of the substance for copyright, and whether such content ought to be qualified to be given similar IP rights.

As a rule, copyrighted materials are made by human creators and are considered original content that is fixed in a substantial form. This implies that the work should be communicated in a physical or computerized form, like a book, a PC file, or a painting, to be safeguarded by intellectual property law. With regards to artificial intelligence chatbots, it is not clear whether the substance produced by these frameworks would be viewed as original and fixed in a substantial form, and consequently qualified for copyright protection law.

Cheap and cheerful: why ChatGPT is no trademark filer | Managing Intellectual Property

Some might contend that artificial intelligence is simply a tool or instrument that is utilized by human creators for work, and subsequently, the human creator ought to be viewed as the original maker and proprietor of the work. Others might contend that computer-based intelligence itself ought to be viewed as the maker and proprietor of the work, provided its capacity to produce unique substance without any intervention by a human.

It is challenging to say for certain whether the substance produced by computer-based intelligence would be qualified for copyright law under existing regulations. Nonetheless, the rise of these advancements brings up significant questions and difficulties that should be addressed to guarantee that IP rights are safeguarded.

Another issue is the potential for IP infringement by artificial intelligence chatbots. As these frameworks become all the more broadly utilized, there is a gamble that they may coincidentally or purposefully produce content that encroaches on the Intellectual Property rights of others or that is duplicative of other artificial intelligence-created content. For instance, an AI chatbot that produces text or pictures in light of previous work without consent could be considered encroaching.

The development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence devices raises significant concerns related to IP that should be addressed to guarantee that these innovations are utilized ethically and that respect the rights of human creators. Technologists, attorneys, and policymakers should cautiously consider these issues and work together to foster fitting legal structures for the utilization of artificial intelligence in the production of original content.