InterDigital has lodged a €101.7 million claim, equal to $118 million, tied to Disney+'s use of high dynamic range video technology. People with knowledge of the case said the filing went to the Munich Regional Court in the earlier part of the month. Those people asked not to be named because the size of the demand has not been disclosed publicly. InterDigital is pushing for a long-term license from Disney as part of a broader standoff spanning multiple regions.
The claimed period covers activity from Disney+'s debut in Germany in 2020 up through the Munich injunction near the end of 2025. It also factors in viewing sent from a server site near Frankfurt to subscribers across 19 countries in Europe. HDR is meant to boost picture quality by broadening the span of luminance and color, helping detail remain visible in both shadows and highlights.
In November 2025, the Munich court found Disney had infringed an InterDigital patent tied to HDR streaming and granted an injunction halting Disney's use of that technology. After that ruling, Disney removed Dolby Vision content for subscribers. Dolby Vision had been offered with Disney+ Premium, a tier priced €5 above the Standard plan.
InterDigital says courts in Germany and Brazil have issued injunctions against Disney, and that it also won decisions at the Unified Patent Court via its Mannheim and Düsseldorf divisions. The two sides have parallel lawsuits underway in California and Delaware. According to InterDigital, Disney continues to employ certain patented technology without a license, and it argues Disney opted to reduce customer features even after InterDigital secured eight injunctions across the larger set of cases.
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"This damages claim reflects just some of the value that Disney derives from our HDR technology," said Josh Schmidt, InterDigital's Chief Legal Officer. "Our preference is to reach a negotiated settlement with Disney." It is not clear whether any deal would approach the amount InterDigital is asking for, and Disney is expected to resist a payout of that size.
Disney said: "Following a recent ruling in a European patent court, casting from a mobile device or browser via Chromecast is currently unavailable for Disney+ customers in Germany and the Netherlands."
The fight is about more than one bill. It is a signal that streaming perks like HDR and Dolby Vision can get switched off when licensing breaks down, and that pricing for premium tiers can be in play. For Disney, a sizable check or a long-term license could change how it bundles features in Europe and beyond.
For InterDigital, a deal would lock in new royalty flows. If you pay for the fanciest video options, this is one to watch because the features you see and the price you pay are part of the same negotiation.
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