InterDigital is seeking €101.7 million in damages from Disney for alleged infringement of its HDR‑streaming patent in Disney+ services delivered between March 2020 and the end of 2025 across Germany and 19 other European countries.
The lawsuit and its legal basis
The claim was filed at the Landgericht München I (Munich Regional Court) under case number 7 O 8870/26, according to the heise report. InterDigital bases the action on European patent EP 2 132 923, which covers HDR‑image‑technology used in video streams. The patent holder says Disney used the technology without a licence, prompting the court to issue an interim injunction in November 2025 that found Disney+ in violation of the patent.
Geographic scope and timeline
While the injunction applied to Disney+ in Germany, InterDigital says the damages claim is not limited to that market. The licensor alleges Disney streamed infringing video from servers near Frankfurt to subscribers in 19 additional European countries, expanding the scope of the lawsuit beyond Germany.
Key dates are:
- March 2020 – Disney+ launches in Germany.
- November 2025 – Munich court finds Disney+ infringing and issues an interim injunction.
- 13 September 2026 – InterDigital files the €101.7 million claim, as reported by heise.
InterDigital at a glance
InterDigital is a US‑based patent licensor headquartered in Wilmington, founded in 1972. The company trades on Nasdaq under ticker IDCC (CIK 1405495). Recent SEC filings show a revenue of $307.4 million for fiscal year 2018 and a net income of $191.7 million for the six‑month period ending 30 June 2026. Total assets stood at $2.192 billion and shareholders’ equity at $1.202 billion as of the same date. Shares outstanding were 25.806 million.
| Metric | Value | Period | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 307,404,000 | FY 2018 | USD |
| Net income | 191,701,000 | Q2 2026 (ended 30 Jun 2026) | USD |
| Total assets | 2,192,092,000 | 30 Jun 2026 | USD |
| Shareholders’ equity | 1,202,169,000 | 30 Jun 2026 | USD |
These figures illustrate a company with a sizable balance sheet that can sustain a high‑value litigation effort.
If the court upholds the €101.7 million claim, Disney would face a significant monetary penalty for the period covered. The lawsuit also highlights the technical dimension of streaming licences – HDR technology, which enhances picture quality, is now a contested IP asset in Europe.
Disney has not commented publicly on the filing, and the heise article does not provide Disney’s response. The claim’s reach into 19 additional countries suggests that any eventual settlement or judgment could affect Disney+ pricing or feature availability across a broad part of the European market.
Open questions
The filing does not disclose how InterDigital calculated the €101.7 million figure, nor does it break down the amount by country or by year within the 2020‑2025 window. The court’s final decision on damages, any possible appeals, and Disney’s strategy for licensing HDR technology remain unknown.
InterDigital’s own financial statements do not reference the lawsuit, so the impact on its earnings will only become clear after the case concludes.
For now, the dispute adds a new layer to the broader debate over patent enforcement in the digital media sector, especially as streaming services continue to expand high‑definition offerings across Europe.